


Arnold and Minnie

by liamthebastard



Series: Teen Wolf Musical [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-14
Updated: 2014-07-16
Packaged: 2018-02-08 19:05:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1952628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liamthebastard/pseuds/liamthebastard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Scott's the star of the high school basketball team, and Allison is the nerdy new girl. Can they find love through all the drama that is high school?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Start of Something New

“Ally, it’s New Year’s Eve. Go do something other than reading, please?”

Allison glances up from her book. It ‘s crazy interesting, about theoretical mathematics. Her last librarian had recommended it just before she moved, and Allison is determined to finish it before she starts the new semester at the new school.

“There’s a party for the teens downstairs. I, uh, put out something for you in the room, something your aunt thought you might like. Go get ready.” Her dad shrugs uncomfortably, and he looks so lost Allison gets up to change just to make him feel better. He’s been working so much since Mom passed, and it hasn’t been easy for either of them, but this was clear evidence of him trying. Allison has to accept it.

Even if it means sacrificing reading time.

 

~0~

 

“Scott, work your left! We’ve got a championship to win here, kid! You’re gonna torch ‘em”

“What, by going left?” Scott replied scathingly, dribbling quickly and aiming for a shot, only to get blocked by his father.

Coach McCall grins. “C’mon, run it again.”

Scott does, and this time nails the shot despite his dad’s best efforts to block. His dad cheers. “Hell yes! I wanna see that in the game, deal?”

“Scott, Rafe!” his mom calls, stepping into the gym. “You aren’t seriously going to play basketball all vacation, are you?” She smiles softly at her son, but narrows her eyes when she shifts her gaze to her husband. “It’s the last night of vacation, let’s go to the party.”

Rafe groans. “Right, yes, the party, sorry Melissa, five minutes, I swear.” He leaves the gym, not pausing at the door to say anything more, and heads upstairs, probably for a shower. Scott goes to make another shot, but his mom steals the ball and spins it neatly on her finger.

“There’s a kids party downstairs,” she suggests.

“Kids party?” Scott repeats.

“Young adults, go shower and get ready for it,” Melissa says firmly.

Scott gives a dopey smile. “All right, mom, I’ll go,” he says, and pops down to give her a kiss on the cheek. “One more shot?” he cajoles. Melissa nods and passes him the ball. Scott spins and makes the shot, sinking it neatly into the net without grazing the hoop. “And that’s how we do,” Scott shouts triumphantly.

“Now go shower!” Melissa orders.

He grins towards her and runs off.

 

~0~

 

The party is awkward. Too many teenagers trying to have fun with too little alcohol and too much watery punch. Allison hates it immediately, and it absurdly grateful she brought her book down with her. She manages to snag a free cushion near the karaoke area -and who thought karaoke was a good idea anyway?- and begins to read.

The DJ is shouting something into the mic, probably about the karaoke-ers that just finished, but a few seconds later a spotlight lands right in Allison’s lap. Allison stares up startled, and there’s another person caught in a separate beam, a boy, but she doesn’t have time to hide or run because the DJ is helping her up to the mic on-stage, and the boy is being pushed up by the crowd.

The boy is trying to say he doesn’t sing, but it’s no use. The DJ hands them both mics. “Someday, you might thank me for this.” Allison glares at him. “Or not,” the DJ shrugs. Allison’s heart is going a hundred miles an hour. This is a nightmare, and absolute nightmare, but the music is starting.

At least her duet partner looks just as freaked out as she is. The lyrics start to light up on stage- he’s going first, thank God.

“ **Livin’ in my own world… didn’t understand. That anything can happen, when you take a chance,** ” and oh, he’s not bad at all. He’s kinda cute too, now that Allison’s looking at him, but it’s her turn, and her voice won’t quite start until a beat too late.

“ _I never believed in what I couldn’t see. I never opened my heart-_ ”

“ **Oohh**.”

Allison smiles. “ _To all the possibilities, oh.”_

They both seem to agree. It’s time to do this for real. _“ _ **I know**_.”_

_“ _That something has changed_.”_

_“ _ **Never felt this way!**_ ”_

_“ _And right here tonight_ ,”_

_“ _ **This could be the start of something new**_.”_

_“ _It feels so right_ ,”_

_“ _ **To be here with you, ooh. And now, looking in you eyes**_ ,"_

_" _I feel in my heart_ ,"_

_"_ **Feel in my heart** ,"

_" _ **The start of something new**_."_

The boy grins mischievously, brown eyes twinkling and Allison forgets her stage fright for a moment as he takes his verse. " **Ohhh, yeah. Now who'd have ever thought that... oh**."

 _" _ **We'd both be here tonight**_?" _ And Allison is giggling because he's stripped out of his outer shirt, tossing it into the crowd. It keeps her going, the teasing looks he keeps shooting her.

_" _Oh, yeah, the world looks so much brighter_!"_

" **Brighter, brighter**."

_" _Oh, with you by my side._ "_

" **By my side."**

It's like playing, the way they're singing together. Allison forgets to be nervous, and instead falls into this game with the dark-eyed bo _ **y.** _

_**" ** _I know, that something has changed, never felt this way_****_."

" _I know it for real_."

" _ **This could be the start, of something new. It feels so right, to be here with you! Oh. And Now, looking in your eyes, I feel in my heart, the start of something new.**_."

They're both almost dancing now, moving to the music, high on the focus of so many strangers and the lateness of the hour.

" **I never knew that it could happen 'til it happened to me! Ohh, yeah.**."

" _ **I didn't know it before**_ ,"

" _But now it's easy to see_..."

" _ **Ohhh. It's the start, of something new. I feels so right to be here with you, oh. And now looking in your eyes, I feel in my heart... That it's the start, of something new. It feels so right**_ "

" **So right, oh**!"

_"To be here with you oh,"_

Allison is laughing and smiling, tossing her hair as she sings, stepping closer to this boy who is stepping nearer to her as they both sing. _ _" _ **And now...**_ **"**_ _

_"Looking in your eyes,"_

**"Looking in your eyes,"**

_"I feel in my heart,"_

**"Feel in my heart,"** and they're getting quieter now, closer together.

_"The start of something new."_

**"The start of something new."**

_"The start of something..."_

"New," they both sigh the last word, staring intensely at each other. Allison, for a split second, thinks he might kiss her, in front of everyone, but instead he speaks.

"Scott," he says, clearly introducing himself.

"Allison," she answers, blushing and smiling like a fool. She offers him her hand, and he shakes it with a dazed grin.

They walk together through the crowd, pausing by the door to take hot chocolate from a hotel staff member before they brave the chill of the night air on their skin.

"You've got an amazing voice," Scott blurts out. "You sing, right? Like professionally?"

Allison laughs. "No, just church choir, I don't even do solos. Once I did, and I fainted."

Scott looks concerned. "Why?"

"I stood up, saw all those people staring, and boom. Woke up staring at the ceiling. End of solo career." Allison shrugs. She doesn't like the memory much, but Scott's grin makes it something almost laughable, instead of humiliating.

"I guess that's hard to believe, the way you sang tonight," Scott flatters, leaning against the railing and inviting Allison to do the same. The area is beautiful at night, especially this high up in the mountains, with bits of snow drifting down to settle in their hair.

"It's the first time I've ever done anything like that. It was so cool though!"

"I know, completely!" Scott replies enthusiastically. Allison gets the feeling he's this excited often; his smile is easy like that.

Allison grinned back. "You must've done a lot too, though. You sounded incredible."

"Oh yeah, my showerhead thinks I rock," Scott jokes.

Inside, people are counting down to the new year. Scott and Allison both pause as the numbers get smaller, and Allison freezes while the fireworks start up, heralding in the new year. Scott starts to lean in, but she jerks back. "I should go tell my dad happy new year," she excuses, trying to figure out why she didn't let this beautiful, funny boy kiss her.

"Yeah, uh, me too. Not your dad, mine. And my mom. Uh. I'll call you! I'll call you tomorrow, if you put your number in here," Scott stammers out, passing his phone to Allison eagerly.

"Okay!" Allison agreed, snapping a selfie and plugging her number in before insisting Scott do the same. She runs off the moment she gets her phone back, leaving Scott talking to himself at the railing.

 

~0~

 

"Singing with you is probably the most fun I've had all vacation," Scott says, once he gets his phone back. "Where do you live?"

He turns around, but Allison, the gorgeous girl from karaoke, is gone. Her picture is still up on his phone though, and he glances at it, with her name spelled in little white letters underneath.

"Allison."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How did this become my life


	2. Get'Cha Head in the Game

**One Week Later**

_Beacon Hills, California_

_Beacon Hills High School_

 

School is always so loud, so busy. Scott tends to go home with headaches, his hearing's too good for someplace so echo-y. The second he gets off the bus, Derek greets him. 

"Scott! What's up?" he shouts, clapping Scott happily on the shoulder. They've been tight since they were kids, playing pick-up games with Scott's dad in the driveway and getting in trouble for eating paste during pre-k. 

"Hey, Derek. Happy new year, guys!" Scott announces to the group at large, which consists primarily of guys from the basketball team. Derek affectionately calls them pack, group of wildcats that they are. 

"It's a happy  _Wildcat_ new year, man!" Derek replies. He's always been big on school spirit, just as enthusiastic as any cheerleader. Scott always jokes he should just grab the pompoms and cheer from the sidelines. "Two weeks til championship, Scott, and you're gonna get us there!" He turns to the group, and Scott grins, knowing full well what's coming. 

 **"What team?"** Derek shouts, the arm that's basketball free lifted up to the sky. 

" _Wildcats!_ " everyone answers.

" **What team?"**

" _Wildcats_!"

Everyone cheers, and Scott grins, happy to be back. But in the rear of his mind, he can't stop thinking about the girl from the lodge. Derek hauls him into the school, arm around his shoulders as they talk tactics for the upcoming game. As they enter, Malia and her brother Stiles strut by. 

"Check out the ice queen and her loyal henchman," Isaac Lahey quips, jerking his head towards the glittering girl and her flamboyant twin. 

Scott shrugs. He doesn't really know much about them except for the basics everyone in their class knows. Malia and her brother Stiles were both adopted by the Sheriff and his wealthy wife. While Stiles chose to take their last name, Stilinski, and even grabbed his nickname from it, Malia refused to take anything but her parents' money. It'd been a big deal in middle school, but since then it's died down. After all Malia and Stiles rule the drama department, and that's about as far from the basketball team as someone can get at Beacon Hills High.

Derek makes some joke, something Scott doesn't catch, but Isaac laughs loudly enough that Scott manages a chuckle in time. As they laugh, Lydia Martin and her Science Squad pass by, looking down their noses per usual.

"Look at the puppies bark in the new year," Lydia comments, and Scott rolls his eyes in her direction. New year, same story. 

 

~0~

 

Allison feels green. This school is huge, so much bigger than it should be for a town like Beacon Hills, but it's apparently the only high school for the county, so a lot of kids attend. "Dad, I'm gonna be sick," she complains.

"No you aren't, dear. You're just nervous, but you'll be okay. You always are. And we aren't moving again til you graduate, I swear it."

The principal goes on about impressive test scores, but Allison ignores him. She won't be the weird smart girl, not this time, and she says as much. 

"You don't have to be, just be Ally," her dad says. He even leans in to give her a hug, and Allison drinks the affection up greedily. "Don't worry."

She nods, and lets the principal lead her away to her homeroom. It's crowded, full of kids catching up after break, so after she gives her papers to the teacher, Mr. Finstock, she makes her way to the back.

~0~

 

Scott's telling Isaac and Jackson all about this trippy dream he had, about jellyfish trying to take his sandwiches, when he sees her. Allison, the girl from the lodge, walking to the back of the classroom. She bumps into Malia and Stiles, and Scott bristles, wanting to protect her from Malia's bitchiness. Before he can stand up and go talk to Allison, Malia is in front of him, giggling and chattering until Finstock shuts down all conversation.

"I'm sure you idiots all had great holidays, but let's talk about important stuff. Be sure to check the sign up sheets in the main hall for new activites,  _McCall_ ," he says, grabbing Scott's attention. Scott had been trying to make eye contact with Allison, but with no luck. "Especially musicale auditions, we've got single auditions for the smaller roles-"

"Scott, you okay?" Derek asks, leaning forward to whisper. 

"And pairs auditions for the leads," Finstock finishes. Derek scoffs at it, and Finstock frowns. 

"Toy away, Hale, this isn't recess," he admonishes, and Derek grudgingly moves his ever-present basketball to his lap. Finstock keeps talking, about more activites, probably the scholastic team since Lydia's hand is up, but Scott's too busy dialing Allison's number on his phone to really pay attention. 

Unfortunately, her ringtone goes off, loud and obnoxious, the radio version of the song they'd sung together on New Year's. That makes Scott grin, until he remembers what happens to phones when Finstock is around. 

Allison's phone keeps ringing, but she's having trouble finding it in her bag. Meanwhile, everyone else, including Malia and Stiles, are checking their phones to see if they're ringing. 

"Bilinski, Tate, phones in the bucket, see you in detention," Finstock says, taking the phones from the twins and putting them in his confiscation bucket. He heads for the back of the room, where Allison has finally gotten her phone off. "We don't allow phones in class here. Put it in the bucket, and I'll see you in detention too. Welcome to Beacon Hills, Argent." Finstock moves forward towards Scott. "And McCall! You too? See you in detention as well."

Scott sadly puts his phone in the bucket. His dad is gonna kill him if he misses practice for detention with Finstock. Derek seems to realize this too.

"But he can't miss practice, Mr. Finstock, sir! We've got basketball practice and Scott's-"

"Don't care, but since you see fit to argue, you can do fifteen minutes with me after school too, Hale. Count them!" Finstock snaps.

"I don't think Derek can count that high," Lydia snarks to her friends, but Finstock hears.

"Martin, fifteen minutes. Holidays are done, children. It's time to learn! Any questions?"

One of the kids raises his hand. 

"Greenberg?" Finstock acknowledges.

"How were your holidays, Mr. Finstock?"

Everybody groans.

"What?"

 

~0~

 

When the bell rings, everybody books it out of the classroom. Allison takes her time walking towards the door, in shock that Scott is  _here_ of all places. And that he was dumb enough to call her during class. But who cares, he's  _here._ And by here, she means directly to her right. 

"Hey!" He's just as excited and enthusiastic as ever. 

"I don't-"

"Believe it!"

"Well me-"

"Either. But how?" He's finishing her sentences, and that shouldn't be as endearing as it is, normally she hates that, but he just seems so genuinely happy to see her. 

"My dad's company transferred him here. I looked for you New Year's Day," Allison said.  _I waited for you to call_ went unspoken. 

"We had to leave first thing," Scott says quietly. "And I- I wasn't sure if..."

"If I'd want to hear from you?" Allison finishes.

Scott smiles. 

"Yeah. It just seemed sort of... surreal, once I woke up," Scott whispers.

Allison nods. It'd felt the same to her. And after all, she hadn't called him either. "Why are you whispering?" she asks.

Scott looks over his shoulder worriedly. "My friends don't exactly... well, they know I went skiing, and played basketball, but I haven't told them about the whole... karaoke thing." Someone interrupts to greet him.

"What, too much for them to handle?" Allison jokes. 

"No, no, it was awesome!" Scott backtracks. "It's just not really my thing around here, you know? It's like I was somebody else then." But Allison barely catches the last bit, she nearly missed her turn for her next class. She can hear Scott catching up though, so she isn't worried. "So, welcome to Beacon Hills. I bet you can't wait to sign up for the musical after Finstock, right?" he jokes, pointing to a large bulletin board that displays multicolored flyers for every imaginable activity.

Allison just laughs. "I just got here, I don't think I'm ready for anything that intimidating," she replies. "If you get in though, I'll definitely come see you."

"That's just impossible," Scott replies, in a tone of voice that makes it clear how ridiculous he finds the suggestion. Suddenly, a girl in bright pink sandwiches her way between them. 

"I didn't think that was a word you knew, Scott," she says, batting her eyelashes. She scowls when she sees Allison. "Showing the new girl around, how sweet." A big red Sharpie makes an appearance, and the girl scrawls her name across the female lead sign up sheet.  _Malia Tate._ Then she gives a fake double take. "Were you going to sign up to? My brother and I just love new _supporting roles_ in our shows. I'm sure we could find a nice chorus bit for you!"

"Um no," Allison replies, ignoring the girl's snobbery. "I'm just... taking it all in." She leans in to exam the name. "Nice penmanship." And she leaves, heading for the next class, feeling the burn of Malia's glare the entire way. 

 

~0~

 

Scott moves to follow Allison to her next class, to talk to her more, but Malia cuts him off. 

"Missed you during vacation, Scott. What did you do all break?" she says, sugar sweet. Scott doesn't trust a word of it.

"Basketball, mostly," he replies. She hasn't done anything _to_ him per se, but something about her just rubs him the wrong way. 

"Oh! When's the big game again?" she asks.

Scott sighs. "Two weeks," he says, holding up two fingers in case that wasn't clear enough. 

Malia grins. "You are  _so_ dedicated. Just like me! You'll come see me in the musical, won't you?"

At this point, Scott would agree to chew off his own leg if it meant she'd leave him alone. He nods, and Malia leaves with a shouted "Toodles!" over her shoulder.

" _Toodles_ ," Scott whispers to himself.

 

~0~

 

Later on, in the gym, Scott and Derek are passing the ball back and forth. It's been bugging Scott all day, the musical. He's never even thought about it before, but with Allison's interest... well it's become more appealing. Plus, there had been this high from performing, it'd kept him in a good mood the entire drive home from the lodge, even while his parents bickered in the front seat. 

"I hear they give extra credit just for auditioning," Scott says out of nowhere.

Derek blinks. "Auditioning for what?" He makes a shot and passes back to Scott.

"The musical, you know." Derek looks scandalized at the thought. "Hey, it looks good for colleges!"

"Yeah, because Lebron James and Saquille O'Neal definitely auditioned for the school musicals," Derek snorted.

Scott shrugged. "They might've. I mean, Michael Jordan did Space Jam." His first shot misses, but Derek rebounds to him and he manages it.

"That was  _after_ he was famous though. Music in those shows dude... it's not good. It's makeup, and tights. It's frightening." Derek shudders mid-dribble.

"It was just a thought. Malia's kinda cute," he points out. 

Derek holds the ball for a moment, considering. "So's a coyote, Scott. But you don't pet it."

"Wildcats, pair up, let's go!" Scott instructs, humming a bit under his breath while the familiar sound of squeaking sneakers fills the gym. 

" **Coach said to fake right, then break left, watch out for the pick and keep an eye on defense. Gotta run the give and go take the ball to the hole, and don't be afraid to shoot the outside 'J'. Just keep ya head in the game. Just keep ya head in the game. And don't be afraid to shoot the outside 'J'. Just keep ya head in the game.** " He dribbles and shoots, trying to get into his headspace, but it just isn't working. 

" **You gotta get'cha get'cha head in the game.** "

" **We gotta get our, get our, get our, get our head in the game!** " the team answers. 

" **You gotta get'cha get'cha head in the game.** "

" **We gotta get our, get our, get our, get our head in the game!** "

" **You gotta get'cha get'cha head in the game.** "

" **We gotta get our, get our, get our, get our head in the game!** "

Scott breaks for it, taking his turn at the basket. " **Let's make sure that we get the rebound, 'cuz when we get it then the crowd will go wild, a second chance gotta grab it and go, maybe this time we'll hit the right notes**!" The team stops and stares. " **Wait a minute. It's not the time or place. Wait a minute. Get my head in the game. Wait a minute. Get my head in the game. Wait a minute. Wait a** **minute**." He takes a breath and starts to dribble. " **I gotta get my, get my head in the game."**

 **"You gotta get'cha get'cha get'cha head in the game!"** The team berates.

 " **I gotta get my, get my head in the game."**

**"You gotta get'cha get'cha get'cha head in the game!"**

 " **I gotta get my, get my head in the game."**

**"You gotta get'cha get'cha get'cha head in the game!"**

 " **I gotta get my, get my head in the game."**

**"You gotta get'cha get'cha get'cha head in the game!"**

Scott pauses in his game. " **Why am I feeling so wrong? My head's in the game, but my heart's in the song! She makes this feel so right...** Should I go for it? Better shake this. Yikes!" he exclaims. " **I gotta get my, get my head in the game!"**

**"You gotta get'cha get'cha get'cha head in the game!"**

" **I gotta get my, get my head in the game!"**

**"You gotta get'cha get'cha get'cha head in the game!"**

" **I gotta get my, get my head in the game!"**

**"You gotta get'cha get'cha get'cha head in the game!"**

" **I gotta get my, get my head in the game!"**

**"You gotta get'cha get'cha get'cha head in the game!"**

" **I gotta get my, get my head in the game!"**

**"You gotta get'cha get'cha get'cha head in the game!"**

"Whoooo!" the whole team cheers when the bells rings. Scott collapses down onto a bleacher, worn out. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah all musical numbers will be in this. Guys sing in **bold** , girls sing in _italics_ , both sing in _**both**_.
> 
> Also: I only just finished season 2. I have no idea who Malia even _is_. The HC that Sharpay is Malia is all from friends of mine.
> 
> And I honestly cannot wait to have more Stiles in this. I want more Stiles in this now.


	3. What I've Been Looking For

Malia is in her science class. Of course. Because the one class Allison was looking forward to here, Malia has to be in. 

Allison takes a deep breath.  _Don't freak out_ , she chants to herself as she heads to her seat. The only one open is a little too close to Malia for her comfort, but so it goes. Halfway through the period, Malia approaches. 

"So, how do you know Scot McCall?" Malia demands, her voice blunt without a hint of the pandering she'd shown to Allison earlier. 

"I don't really, he was just showing me around," Allison hedges, copying down the practice problem the teacher was working on the board. 

Malia didn't let up. "Scott doesn't usually talk with new students."

"Why not?" Allison asked, erasing a mark on her page and correcting it. 

"Oh, he's just very busy with the team," Malia says, and she looks like she might say more, but Allison's been distracted.

"That should be 16 over pi," Allison mutters, crossing out what she's written and rewriting the equation to check her work. 

The teacher must hear her. "What was that, Ms. Argent?"

Crap. Allison clears her throat and prays she isn't blushing. "Um. The second equation, shouldn't it read 16 over pi?"

Malia is clearly unimpressed and uninterested, and seems pleased when the teacher at first refutes Allison's question. But a moment later, the teacher checks her calculator, and admits that Allison is right. 

"Welcome aboard," the teacher says warmly.

Allison smiles, while Malia silently fumes.

 

~0~

 

Scott McCall is staring at the sign-up sheet. Why is Scott McCall, king of all he surveys here at Beacon Hills, so interested in the musical sign up list, Stiles wonders. He doesn't have much time to focus on the thought though, moments later Malia walks by and Stiles snags the corner of her blouse.

"Scott McCall was staring at our list," Stiles says. 

Malia seems annoyed, thrown off her game by something. It's unsettling to see. "Again?" she says. "Him and that new girl were staring at it earlier. There's something weird about her. Do you know where she's from?"

Stiles is barely listening, staring at the list and hoping to see a particular name, but isn't surprised to see it isn't there. After all, that  _thing_ they had over break hardly means he'd want to hang out now that school's started, right? Stiles looks up from his thoughts when Malia grabs the hem of his shirt and starts walking. 

"You know it's things like this that make people uncomfortable around us, Mal," Stiles points out while Malia drags him to the library. 

"I genuinely do not give a damn, Stiles. Keep watch," Malia says. She starts fiddling with the library computer, searching Allison's name with a bajillion limits on the search that has even Stiles, king of the last minute research report, in awe. 

What's even more awe-inspiring is the amount of articles that pop up about Allison. Awards, competitions, and insane scholarship offers, all dating back to at least middle school, some even earlier. 

"Wow, a regular Nicole Tesla. Why is she messing with our musical?" Stiles asks. Malia rolls her eyes at his reference.

"I don't think she really is. But we don't need to worry, it's not like she's a professional. But... we could certainly make sure the  _right_ people around here notice her. Right Stiles?"

Stiles has an uneasy feeling about this, but hey, family first. So he agrees. "Sure, Mal. Whatever you say."

 

~0~

**Auditorium**

_Detention_

_Finstock Style_

 

 

"More gold, Greenburg! I want that to sparkle like diamonds!" Finstock is stalking through the scene shop, shouting directions at everybody, and sometimes the directions even make sense. Scott and Derek are painting an obscenely large wooden tree, and Allison is about six feet away from, painting a giant crescent moon. 

Finstock is heading towards way Scott, but gets derailed when he notices Allison. "Paint faster! More blue!" he orders, then runs off to terrorize some underclassmen screwing around in the light booth. Allison is dutifully reaching for more blue paint when a redhead in a smart pantsuit runs up to her. 

"Yes, definitely!" she exclaims.

"What?" Allison asks. 

"Our scholastic team has its first meet next week, and there is definitely a spot for you on it," the redhead elaborates. This explanation doesn't help one iota. But the printouts of some very familiar -and embarassing- articles in the girl's hands do. 

Allison takes them from the girl. "Where did these come from?" she demands.

"You didn't put them in my locker," the girl says. Allison shakes her head. "My offer still stands, with a record like yours, we couldn't lose! Please?" 

Something tells Allison this girl doesn't get told 'no' very often, but she's opening her mouth to do just that when Malia appears. "Of course she'll do it, it's a brilliant way to get caught up with the curriculum here, meeting with the most intelligent kids in school. How generous of you, Lydia."

Finstock has appeared over Malia's shoulder. "Look at all the new people here in detention, isn't it nice? We could always use the help, and with the amount of time you all spend on your phones, we're certainly going to get it." He keeps talking, and talking, giving Allison a chance to slip away a bit and avoid another confrontation with Malia. It just isn't worth it right now. 

 

~0~

 

Isaac is worried. Neither Scott nor Derek showed for practice, and yeah, he knows they have detention, but Coach McCall is gonna shit a brick when he notices they're gone. Which should be happening...

"Where's Scott and Derek?"

Now. 

The team is silent. Nobody wants to answer an angry Coach McCall. It's a tossup in the school as to who's scarier, him or Finstock. 

"Don't make me ask again." They're still silent. "Where's Scott and Derek?"  **  
**

"Detention," everybody mutters. 

Coach McCall almost growls, and storms out of the gymnasium.

Isaac hopes Scott and Derek are ready for him.

 

~0~

 

Derek is sound asleep inside the tree he and Scott had been painting. Scott is perched on the top of the tree, lowering a leaf on a fake branch to tickle Derek's nose. Meanwhile, Finstock keeps ranting. Now he's onto the dreaded "phone ringing in the theater" bit he goes off on at least once a week. The auditorium doors open, but Scott is too focused on trying to get Derek to sneeze to care.

"Where's my team Finstock!" a familiar voice shouts. Scott's head snaps up. "What the heck are those two doing in a tree?"

Derek's jerked awake now too. 

"It's crime and punishment, McCall. And being in the theater's a good environment!" Finstock snaps back. 

His dad is  _pissed_. "You and I are gonna have a talk," he says to Finstock, then he rounds on Scott and Derek. "And you two, in the gym,  _now!_ " 

Scott leaps from the treetop and grabs Derek's elbow. Derek's still half-asleep, gripping his basketball and rumpled as can be, but Scott drags him out of the auditorium for the gym.

 

~0~

 

Principal Deaton has had it with both these teachers. Every week it's something between them. 

"He can't just take kids from my practice!" Coach McCall is arguing.

Finstock's face is getting redder the longer McCall talks. "And if it was theater kids instead of basketball players, you wouldn't care!"

"We're two weeks from the championships, Finstock!" McCall shouts.

"And we're in the middle of musicale auditions! We've got more in this school than boys in baggy shorts throwing balls for touchdowns!" Finstock retorts, just as loud. 

"Baskets! They shoot baskets!"

Deaton sighs. "You have this argument every week since the day you both started here. We all need to get along, can't you agree on that much?"

They nod. 

Finally. But Deaton can't resist one more jab towards Finstock. "So, Coach, how's the team looking? Is Scott getting everybody ready?"

Finstock makes a strangled sound and slams out of the room. 

 

~0~

 

Coach McCall is giving one of his patented pre-practice speeches. He's a firm believer that you should motivate at all times, regardless of actual interest. "The Sunnydale Knights have beat us the past three years, and now we are  _this_ close to taking that championship out from under them. This is where we make a stand, together, as a team. The team is you, and we do not work unless each and every one of you is completely and exclusively focused on you goal.  _Am I clear_?" he shouts.

Derek can tell Scott's not mentally here today, so he steps up.

" **What team?** " he shouts, drawing the coach's focus away from his daydreaming son. 

" _Wildcats!_ "

" **What team?** "

" _Wildcats!_ "

" **What team?** "

" _Wildcats!_ "

" **Wildcats!** "

" _Get your head in the game!_ "

 

~0~

 

"So, despite my best efforts, we've never made it past the first round of elimination," Lydia is explaining. "You could be the key to our success!"

Allison fidgets. "I'm sure you guys can manage without me, things at home are crazy with unpacking. Maybe next year." Lydia opens her mouth to argue, so Allison blurts out the first thing she thinks off to derail the redhead. "What do you know about Scott McCall?"

Lydia grins wolfishly. "Do you speak cheerleader?" she says. When Allison seems confused, Lydia leads her up to a group of girls from the cheer squad and demonstrates. "OMFG isn't Scott McCall like, such a total babe?" 

The cheerleaders all squeal and talk at once, but for the life of her, Allison has no idea what they're actually saying. It sounds positive thought. Lydia walks away and gestures for Allison to follow. "Understand?"

"I definitely do not speak cheerleader," Allison settles on.

"That's why we exist separate from Scott the basketball clot," Lydia says primly. 

That doesn't seem right, though. "Have you ever actually talked to him?" Allison asks.

Lydia scoffs. "Just watch him in the cafeteria tomorrow when you eat with us. You are eating with us right? Unless you want to talk about Big Brother with the cheer squad over there."

"Isn't that an Orwell thing?" Allison says. 

"I knew I liked you," is all Lydia will say.

 

~0~

 

After practice, Scott and his dad always shoot hoops together at home in their backyard court. Sometime during fourth grade the driveway stopped being good enough, so Rafe had built a half court with a regulation height hoop put in. 

"Explain the detention thing again, from the start," Rafe says, passing the ball to his son. 

Scott shrugs, taking a shot. "It was my fault, sorry."

"Cross court," his dad instructs. "You know Finstock hates me, you've gotta be on guard around him."

Well Scott doesn't really care about Finstock right now, or about his dad's wounded ego. He dribbles around a bit before asking his question. "Have you ever... wanted to try something new, but were afraid of what other people might think?"

Rafe shrugs. "Like going left? You're doing fine, nobody's gonna judge, now come on."

_Yes dad, because everything in my life revolves around basketball._ "No. I mean something  _really_ new, and it's just a trainwreck, and everybody laughs at you."

"Maybe they weren't really friends, then. That's where I was going with the team thing today. I know Derek calls you pack, but it's more than that, we're a family. We look out for each other, and you're their leader."

"Dad, that's not what I meant-" But his dad just steamrolls over him.

"You know there's gonna be scouts at our games now. You've gotta start thinking about college, scholarships. You know how much those are worth?"

Scott sighs. "A lot."

"Exactly. Now focus, one more time."

Scott sinks the shot. Rafe cheers, and Scott goes to take a breather. 

 

~0~

 

The next day, Malia walks in and hands Mr. Finstock a box containing god knows what. Stiles has negative patience for her right, since he's busy focusing on, and pretending not to notice, one Derek Hale, who is ignoring him right back. Finstock is talking, so Stiles makes sure to look like he's paying attention, but really he's straining his ears to eavesdrop on Scott McCall's conversation with Derek. 

"When's the mothership coming for her?" Derek mutters, and they both laugh. Stiles pouts, but disguises it quickly since Finstock is still talking, giving the times for auditions today. He realizes with a sinking sensation that the hat he needs for the audition is in Derek's backpack, shoved there sometime over break. 

And naturally, Derek flees the classroom after Scott the moment the bell rings, while Malia makes Stiles stay and wait for her to gather her things. 

 

~0~

 

Later that day, Derek catches Scott by his locker. "Dude, during free period we're all meeting in the gym for an extra practice, what do you want us to run?" Derek asks. Scott's playmaker as well as team captain, in charge of organizing the plays for the entire team. 

"Um, I actually have to uh do some homework during free period," Scott lies. He's doing that super obvious tell of his, where he refuses to look Derek in the face. 

Derek raises an eyebrow. "It's the second day back, even I'm not behind on homework yet. Tomorrow maybe, but not today."

Scott fakes a laugh. "Gotta go!" he says, and then ditches Derek there in the hallway. 

"Homework? Yeah right," Derek mutters, and starts to tail him. Scott's fast, and smart enough to weave through classrooms so he's hard to track. Derek loses him at some point, but he isn't sure exactly where, since by the time he realizes it, someone has grabbed the sleeve of his shirt and yanked him into a broom closet. 

"What the hell?" Derek exclaims before he recognizes the ridiculous hat du jour and matching shirt. "Stiles, what do you want?" 

"My hat, I need it for my audition today, but I left it in your backpack over break," Stiles says, glaring at Derek with fury and betrayal. Okay, maybe he deserves that, a little, but c'mon. It's not like he can walk right up to the basketball team and go  _Oh hey, I like guys and also the one I like happens to be the drama club's co-founder._ He'd get laughed out of the locker room at best, the shit beat out of him at worst. 

Derek sighs. "Stiles, don't be like that-" he starts but Stiles holds up his hand. 

"No. I don't want to hear it. The only words I want to hear out of your mouth are  _Here's your hat, Stiles_ or  _Sorry I'm a douche bag, Stiles_. You can take your pick, but I'd really rather have the hat than your half-assed apologies." Stiles holds out his other hand, waiting for the hat. 

Sadly, Derek reaches into his backpack and pulls out the green hat from the pocket he'd slid it into the weekend after school ended. He'd run into Stiles at the bookstore, and they'd wound up hanging out most of the day. Hanging out had turned to making out, which somehow resulted in a two-week long affair that ended brutally when Derek refused to acknowledge Stiles's existence at school. To be completely honest, Derek had deliberately kept the hat, picked up from the floor of his Camaro at some point during break where Stiles had forgotten it in the heat of the moment. It was nice, and it reminded Derek of Stiles. But it was better to make a clean break, so he handed the hat over, and let Stiles stalk out of the cupboard and leave him alone with the spiders and cleaning supplies. 

 

~0~

 

Scott finally manages to lose the unsubtle tail of Derek by sneaking around a double-entranced room. He bolts for the outside halls, nearly gets caught by his dad, and slips through the garage. A mechanic gives him a questioning look as he does so.

"Shortcut," Scott lies. "I'm late for class." The mechanic doesn't buy a word of it, but ignores him in favor of examining a truck's engine. Scott is able to sneak into the auditorium through the backstage entrance, hiding behind a mop in the janitor's cart he wheels in along with him as a disguise. 

Finstock stands on stage, with a small Japanese girl next to him. He runs through the audition format, gets interrupted by the warning bell, which he angrily mistakes for a cell phone, and wishes everyone luck. "Oh, and our show's composer, Kira Yukimura, will be accompanying you and will be available for rehearsals if you get a callback. Let's do this!"

In a word, the auditions are... horrific. There's a ballet dude who takes out several backstage set pieces and doesn't even sing, a couple kids who do this weird interpretive dance routine, and a whole lot of just bad singing. It's a relief when Allison manages to sneak up on him.

"Decided to audition?" she says, and Scott jumps about six feet in the air. 

"Not even a little. You?" Scott replied. 

Allison shakes her head. "Are you hiding behind a mop? Does the team know you're here?"

"No!" Scott isn't sure which question he's answering. While they were talking, another singer got hit with stage fright and ran off the stage without singing. "Finstock is a little... rough."

"Star Wildcat's afraid?" Allison teases.

Scott denies. "No, I'm not afraid. Just.... scared."

"Me too, usually," Allison admits casually.

Finstock starts to speak. "For the lead roles of Arnold and Minnie we've only got one couple signed up," he looks backstage, and Scott grabs Allison's arm and tugs her behind the mop cart to hide from Finstock's glare. "Tate, Bilinski, show them how it's done." 

Stiles and Malia both stand up. It occurs to Scott that the green hat Stiles is wearing looks weirdly familiar. But it's not important, so he and Allison slip off stage and grab seats to watch the performance.

 

~0~

 

"What key?" Kira asks. 

Malia gestures for Stiles to take care of it while she warms up. "Our rehearsal pianist did an arrangement, thanks," Stiles says, trying to soften his sister's rude behavior. Kira seems nice, but Malia's really particular about her music, even if it's just for an audition.

Speaking of particular, his twin snaps for the curtains to be shut, and she and Stiles take their positions. The music starts up, and Stiles and Malia star to snap on beat from backstage. Stiles shoves aside the weird feeling that always comes from singing a duet with his sister as the curtain swings open and his part begins. 

" **It's hard to believe that I couldn't see** ,"

_**"You were always there beside me. Thought I was alone, with no one to hold, but you were always right beside**_ ** _me_!** "

" _This feeling's like no other,_ "

" ** _I want you to know, I've never had someone, that knows me like you do, the way you do, and I've never had someone, as good for me as you, no one like you! So lonely before, I finally found, what I've been looking_ _for_.** "

Stiles can't help but scan the auditorium for Derek while Malia sings, even though he knows the boy won't be there.

" _So good to be seen, so good to be heard,_ "

" ** _Don't have to say a word!"_**

" **For so long I was lost, so good to be found,** "

" _ **I'm loving having you** **around**_ "

" **This feeling's like no other,** " and yeah, maybe Stiles is spicing up the choreography a bit, but it looks  _awesome_ so Malia can stop glaring at him like that.

" _ **I want you to know, that I've never had someone that knows me like you do, the way you do. I've never had someone as good for me as you, no one like you! So lonely before, I finally found what I've been looking**_ **for.** "

And now Stiles's least favorite part. 

" _ **Doo doo doodoo, doo doo doodoo, do do. Woa-ah-ah-oh. Doo doo doodoo, doo doo doodoo, do do.** **Woa-ah-ah-oh.**_ " 

But during the playout Stiles nails the jazz squares, so he feels better about it. 

Malia does not. While they hold their final pose for the applause, she whispers from the corner of her mouth without losing a smile, "I told you not to do the jazz squares."

"It's a crowd favorite, everybody loves a good jazz square," Stiles retorts. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH my god this fic is just wonderful to write I am having so much fun doing this ridiculous thing it's lovely


	4. What I've Been Looking For (Reprise)

"Any last-minute sign ups? Anybody?" Finstock shouts, but nobody moves.

"Don't worry, we need fans too, not just singers!" Stiles chirps happily.Malia rolls her eyes and starts to leave the stage. The tiny composer, Kira, stops her.

"Um, Malia, if you do the part, with that song, it's meant to be so much slower-" the girl starts.

Malia barks a laugh to cut her off. " _If_ I do the part? Oh Kira, Kira, this will be my 18th school show. How many shows has your music been chosen for, hmm?" she prompts.

"Just- just this one, but I really think-"

"And that tells us what," Malia interrupts. 

Kira frowns, clearly trying to figure out what Malia wants as a response. "That I should write you more solos...?" she offers. 

"No," Malia says, looming over the smaller girl. "It means you do not offer suggestion, direction or commentary. You should be grateful my brother and I are here to pull your music into the limelight. Clear?" 

"Yes ma'am. I mean, Malia," Kira squeaks. 

Malia grins. "Lovely talking to you," she chirps and flounces off the stage. One more underclassmen under her thumb. Perfect. 

 

~0~

 

Finstock is still calling for last minute auditions. "We should do it!" Scott says on impulse. Allison looks at him with a mix of terror and excitement, something similar to how she'd looked on New Year's Eve. It's gorgeous. 

"No? No more auditions? Okay, we're done for the day!" Finstock says just as Allison pops out from behind the mop cart. 

"I'd like to audition!" she says loudly, drawing the stares of everyone in the auditorium. Scott turns bright red and stays in his hiding place. He doesn't want everyone to see him skipping practice to do  _this_.

The director looks down his nose. "Look, timing is important around here, and solo auditions are long done. There are no more pairs, sorry Argent," he says. 

It's Scott's moment. He steps out from behind the cart, hand in the air and already regretting it. "I'll do it, I'll sing with her," he says, trying to keep his voice from cracking out of fear. Finstock stares openly, appraising Scott.

"And where's your sport's posse, McCall?" he demands.

"My team? Um. Not here. I'm alone. Actually, here to sing with her," Scott stammers, gesturing to Allison, who's looking at him like he hung the moon. 

Finstock gives a small cough. "Sorry, I called for pairs and you didn't speak up. Free period is over. Get to class," he says smoothly, heading for the door with Greenburg in tow. 

"But she's got an incredible voice!" Scott protests.

"Maybe the spring musicale," Finstock says, and leaves the auditorium. 

Scott turns to Allison, about to apologize, but a loud bang and the rustle of dozens of papers comes from the stage. Scott turns and hurries to where the composer, Kira, has just fallen on stage. 

 

~0~

 

Kira's dropped everything, and isn't that just perfect, her papers are all out of order and it's going to take  _forever_ to organize it all. It's rough enough, writing an entire musical from scratch while keeping up with classes, she doesn't have the time or patience to deal with Malia's shit and reorganizing papers on top of it all.  

The boy who'd tried to audition, Scott McCall, is helping her pick up the papers. So is the new girl, something Argent, and that's way nicer than anyone else in this school is. 

"So, you write music?" Scott asks, handing over a pile of papers. Kira can't even speak. She has no idea how to reply to a basketball star, she can barely even talk to her teachers, much less her peers. "You wrote what Stiles and Malia just sang, and the rest of the show?"

Finally Kira nods.

"Awesome!" Scott declares. "I can't wait to hear the rest of it." He holds his hand out to Kira, and helps her to her feet. Her hands are shaking, and she hopes he doesn't notice it. He doesn't, or at least doesn't make any sign that he did, which helps her settle a bit. That, and the new girl is smiling sympathetically towards her. "Why are you so afraid of Malia and Stiles? Isn't this your show?" 

" _My_ show?" Kira repeats, absolutely stunned. 

Scott shrugs and smiles happily. "Yeah, you're like the playmaker!" Kira has no idea what he means by that, and it must show on her face, because he starts to explain. "The person who makes everybody look good. Without your music, there's no show! You're totally the playmaker."

That makes something warm swell in Kira's chest, something almost like confidence. "I am?"

"Definitely!" 

The Argent girl is beaming, and Scott's been so nice, it gives Kira the guts to offer something. "Do you want to hear how it's meant to sound?" They both nod, so Kira leads them over to the piano. She pulls the sheet music out and orders it properly on the stand. 

While she plays, she nods towards where the lyrics start, thinking maybe the Argent girl will want to sing it anyway. She's surprised when Scott starts, taking to the tenor part beautifully. 

" **It's hard to believe that I couldn't see, you were always there beside me,** " he peeks over at the new girl, and Kira blushes to see how adoring he looks. 

" _Thought I was alone, with no one to hold_ ," the girl sings, and her voice is just a nice as Scott's, perfect for this piece really. Kira can't hold back a grin.

" ** _But you were always right beside me... This feeling's like no other, I want you to_ _know_...** " They're making eye contact over Kira's head, glancing down to the sheet music now and then, and it's so adorable Kira just keeps smiling. They've got chemistry, more than Stiles and Malia, obviously. " _ **That I've never had someone, that knows me like you do. The way you do. And I've never had someone as good for me as you, no one like you. So lonely before, I finally found what I've been looking** **for**._ "

The song ends gently, exactly how Kira imagined it. Finstock's voice intrudes on the silence. "Argent, McCall, you have a callback. Work with Kira, she'll give you the duet from the second act."

Kira beams. "Amazing, that's fantastic! I'm free pretty much whenever, during free period, after school, sometimes during class. Just come and rehearse any time, or you can come to my house and we can rehearse on the piano there," Kira chatters to the Argent girl, who listens with a large grin on her face. Scott is off to the side, seemingly in shock. Kira can't  _wait_ to see Malia's face when she finds out about the callbacks. It's gonna be priceless. 

 

~0~

 

Stiles is in his room after school, going over sheet music, when the doorbell rings. "I got it, don't worry!" he calls to their maid. He slides down their huge staircase's railing and rockets to the front door. "Hello?" he pants as he flings the door open with a grin. The smile falls the second he sees who's on the other side. 

"Hey, mind if I come in?" Derek Hale asks. Stiles leans into the doorway, blocking it. 

"Yeah, I kinda do," Stiles says. "What are you doing here?"

Derek holds up a plastic grocery bag. "There, um, you left some stuff. At my house. Over break." Stiles snatches the bag from his hands. 

"'K, you can go now. Run along," Stiles says, waving Derek off. Derek doesn't move. Stiles is getting impatient, and it's hurting more and more to stand here with Derek on his porch looking totally untouchable. 

"Stiles..." Derek sighs. 

"I don't want to hear it, Hale. Leave, now," Stiles insists, moving to close the door. Derek tries to shoulder it open again, but Stiles pushes it shut, flipping the lock and collapsing against the door in exhaustion. He can hear Derek clunk his head on the other side of the door. 

" _I just wanted to say I'm sorry."_ Derek's voice is muffled enough by the door that Stiles feels no shame in ignoring it. Well. Very little shame. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So obviously I'm deviating from the canon plot here and there, mostly so Sterek can happen (but you cannot tell me that Chad and Ryan don't have a thing okay it totally happened).


	5. Stick to the Status Quo

Stiles is dragged to the main bulletin board before lunch by his twin, who insists on checking even though they always get the role. Something is different this time, though, there's a large crowd of giggling theater peons around who part the moment Malia arrives. 

" _Call_ backs!" Malia screeches when she sees the paper. Stiles hustles forward adn starts to read it aloud while Malia tries to calm herself a bit.

"Callback for roles of Arnold and Minnie next Thursday, 3:30 pm. Stiles Stilinski and Malia Tate, Allison Argent and Scott McCall," he reads, surprised. 

Malia is well past surprised and moved into furious. "This has got to be a  _joke_. Finstock didn't even let them audition!"

Stiles grins. "Maybe we're being punked!" Malia rolls her eyes. "No, seriously, we could be getting filmed right now! Maybe we'll get to meet Ashton!"

"Shut the hell up, Stiles!" Malia says and she's about to keep going when the entirety of the Wildcats starting line up shows up. 

"What's wrong?" Derek says, more serious than he has any right to be. Stiles gives a vindictive smile and points to the callback list. Derek goes white, and yeah, that feels pretty good. Stiles and Malia head to lunch, Stiles feeling pretty pleased at how horrified Derek looked. Serves him right. 

Malia starts ranting the moment they settle into their seats, Kira joining them a minute later. "I've already planned my dressing room color schemes! Scott I can forgive, but this Argent girl just showed up!"

"They didn't even ask our permission to join the drama club," Stiles throws in, knowing Malia needs fuel for her ire or she'll take it out on the rest of them. 

"You're right! Someone needs to tell her the rules," Malia says conspiratorially. 

Stiles squints a bit. "What are the rules again?"

Malia groans. 

 

~0~

 

Jackson Whittemore is nervous, but he knows he has to admit something to the team. They're at the lunch table with a few cheerleaders, Scott's off god knows where, so it's the perfect time. He clears his throat. " **You can bet there's nothing but net when I am in a zone and on a roll. But I've got a confession, my own secret obsession and it's making me lose control.** "

The team seems interested. " ** _Everybody, gather 'round_!** "

"Well, if Scott can tell his secret, I can tell mine," Jackson breathes. "I bake."

Isaac looks confused. "What?"

"I love to bake!" Jackson admits, feeling lighter already. "Strudels, scones, even apple pandowdy."

" _ **Not another sound!** " _their group hushes him, but it's too late, Jackson's out in the open and he won't keep it a secret anymore. 

"Someday, I hope to make the perfect creme brulee," Jackson adds.

" _ **No no no! No. No no no. Stick to the stuff you know. If you wanna be cool follow one simple rule, don't mess with the flow no no! Stick to the status** **quo!**_ " 

 

~0~

 

A few tables away, Erica Reeves has her nose buried in a book. Since her last seizure, she's only managed to keep a few friends, and she needs to be honest with them. She puts down her textbook. " _Look at me and what do you see? Intelligence beyond compare! But inside I am stirring, something strange is occurring, it's a secret I need to share."_ _  
_

Her friends nod eagerly. " ** _Open up, dig way down_ deep.** "

"Hip hop is my passion!" Erica grins. "I love to pop and lock and jam and break!"

Danny looks disgusted. "Is that even  _legal?_ "

**_"Not another peep!_ "**

"It's just dancing," Erica shrugs. "Sometimes I think it's cooler than homework."

The group freaks out. " ** _No no no! No. No no no! Stick to the stuff you know. It is better by far to keep things as they are, don't mess with the flow no no! Stick to the status_ _quo_!** "

 

~0~

 

Down at the skater table, Boyd is uneasy. He's got a secret and he really wants to let his friends in on it. Ah hell, it's time. " **Listen well I'm ready to tell, about a need that I cannot deny! Dude there's no explanation for this awesome sensation, but I'm ready to let it fly.** "

The other skaters all lean in to hear. " ** _Speak your mind and you'll be_ _heard_!** "

"Alright. If Scott wants to be a singer, then I'm coming clean! I play the cello!" he says proudly.

Ethan nods. "Awesome!"

Aiden chimes in, "What is it?"

Boyd mimes the instrument, and the twins nod. "A saw!" Aiden declares. Boyd shakes his head. 

"No dude, it's like a giant violin!"

The group scoffs as one. " _ **Not another**_ ** _word_!** "

Aiden leans over to ask a question. "Do you have to wear a costume?"

"Coat and tie," Boyd preens. 

The table breaks down. " _ **No, no, no! No! No, no, no! Stick to the stuff you know. If you wanna be cool, follow on simple rule, don't mess with the flow, no, no! Stick to the status quo!** "_

 

~0~

 

The lunchroom is in chaos, Stiles observes from his high vantage point. Currently, the jocks, brainiacs and skaters are all yelling at members of their groups. It's actually kinda fun. 

" _ **No, no, no! Stick to the stuff you**_ ** _know_!** " They all shout. " _ **It is better by far to keep things as they are, don't mess with the flow, no, no! Stick to the status quo!** "_

Stiles turns to share his amusement with Malia, but she too is watching the chaos, only she seems furious. " _This is not what I want!_ " she insists. " _This is not what I planned! And I just gotta say, I do not understand! Something is really-_ "

" **Something's not right,** " Stiles inserts. Malias pushes him away. 

" _Really wrong!_ "

" ** _And we gotta get things back where they_ _belong! We can_ _do_** _ **it!** " _they agree.

" **Gotta play!** " shouts Boyd from below. 

" _ **Stick with what you know,**_ " the skaters respond. 

" _ **We can do**_ ** _it_!** " Malia and Stiles repeat. 

" _Hip hop hooray!_ " Erica cheers at her table.

" ** _She has got to_** _ **go** ," _the brainiacs agree. 

" ** _We can do_ _it!_** " Stiles and Malia affirm. 

" **Creme brulee!"** Jackson beams, holding out a desert. 

" _ **Keep your voice down** **low**_ ," the jocks shush. 

" _ **Not another peep, no! Not another word, no! Not another sound,** **no!**_ " they all chime. 

"Everybody, quiet!" Malia shouts. Silence falls in the cafeteria. 

 

~0~

 

Lydia leads Allison into the lunchroom, and it's eerily silent as they enter. 

"Why is everyone staring at you?" Allison asks. 

"Not me," Lydia says. "You."

"Because of the callbacks?" Allison assumes, panicked. "I can't have people staring at me, I really can't!"

 

~0~

 

" ** _No! No, no, no!"_** Sound explodes out of the various groups, and Stiles winces at the noise. " ** _Stick_ _to the stuff you know! If you wanna be cool, follow one simple rule, don't mess with the flow, oh no! Stick to the status quo!"_** Malia starts down the staircase to where Stiles can see Allison Argent and Lydia Martin walking. Stiles follows swiftly after her. " _ **No, no, no! Stick to the stuff you know! It is better by far to keep things as they are, don't mess with the flow no, no! Stick to the status, stick to the status, stick to the status quo!"**  _

Just as the last word is shouted, Stiles sees Allison hit a patch of spilled milk and careen straight into Malia, spilling her chili fries all over his sister's blouse and jacket.

Malia shrieks. 

"I am so sorry," Allison immediately apologizes, grabbing napkins and trying to help clean up, but even Stiles can see this isn't going to end well. He glances up in time to see Derek holding Scott back by the shoulder. 

"Too much drama, Scott. Stay away," Derek warns. Stiles glares. 

Finstock arrives moments later, probably attracted by Malia's screams. "What is it?" he asks, sounding tired. 

"That awful Argent girl dumped her lunch on me on purpose! All to ruin our musical, and the basketball team is obviously behind it. Why else would he audition?" Malia leaped into her complaints while Stiles stood beside her, internally groaning at his sister's dramatics. "It just doesn't seem right, after all your hard work." 

Finstock just leads her away to get cleaned up, nodding as she rants. 

 

~0~

 

"What did I miss?" Scott asks, looking around the cafeteria at the mass chaos that's ensued in his absence. 

Derek seems furious. "What did you miss? Uh, a workout so that you could audition for a  _musical_. And now, people keep  _confessing_ things." Jackson walks by just then, grinning more than Scott's ever seen him, and Derek tugs him closer. "Jackson here is baking. Creme brulee!"

Scott's curious. "What's that?" 

"Oh, it's this creamy desert with a caramelized surface, it's amazing," Jackson gushes. 

"Shut up, Jackson!" Derek snaps, and Jackson slinks away to talk to someone Scott vaguely recognizes as a skater. Derek is still scowling. "Do you see what's happening now Scott? Because of your singing our team is falling apart! The drama geeks and brainiacs are trying to  _talk_ to us." He jerks his thumb over to the large, black skater - Boyd! Scott remembers, that's his name - who's talking to Jackson. "The skaters are even getting in on it. People are starting to think they can do other things, Scott, things that aren't their things. You're off thinking in music when we've got a game next week!"

Scott just kinda shrugs, and Derek storms off. 

 

~0~

 

Finstock is capital-P Pissed. He's got a crying girl in his office, her twin snarking at him every two seconds, and an entire musical on the verge of a meltdown  _before it's even been cast._ He storms through the locker room, startling a number of underclassmen, and tosses open Coach McCall's door.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he demands.

McCall's halfway through a sandwich, and seems genuinely bewildered, but Finstock isn't buying that. "Wha'" McCall asks.

"You're pissed that I put your kids in detention so you're trying to sabotage me!" Finstock insists.

"What are you talking about, Finstock," McCall says, wiping mayo from his lip with a napkin. 

"Don't play dumb, your son showed up at the auditions yesterday. Now I gave him a chance, but so help me God if he's planning something-"

McCall starts to laugh. "Scott doesn't even sing!" he crows. 

Finstock raises an eyebrow. "You're wrong there," he says. McCall the younger wasn't too awful. Better than that Bilinski kid for the role, even if the scrawny punk could dance. "But I'm not gonna let Twinkle Town got to pot because your kid is up to something!"

"Twinkle Town?" McCall repeats with a shit-eating grin. 

"I knew it!" Finstock says, storming off. McCall shouts a few more smartass comments after him, but he just ignores it and sets off for his own classroom, where he has to console Tate. Jesus Christ he does not get paid enough. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized I had no Jackson, so here. He bakes, his mom taught him.


	6. When There Was Me and You

"Scale of one to ten, how angry is Malia?" Allison asks, picking at her lunch. 

"Oh she's at least a twelve," Lydia replies. "Nobody's beaten her out for a role since  _kindergarten_." Lydia sounds delighted with the concept. 

Allison sighs. "I wasn't even auditioning! We were just... singing." Allison smiles, thinking of how happy Scott looked when they'd sung along to Kira's piano. 

Lydia snorts delicately, if such a thing is possible. "Good luck getting Malia to buy that. If she could be in two places at once, her twin would be out of a job," Lydia laughed. 

"It just happened," Allison says. "But it was... it was nice. I liked it." She smiles again. "Does it ever feel like there's this whole other person in you, just waiting for a chance to come out?" 

"No," Lydia responds quickly. They both giggle as the bell rings. "Let's go."

Allison says goodbye to Lydia and heads for her locker, hoping to grab a few books to read during free period. A piece of paper flutters out, which is weird, because Allison is meticulous about her school things, and that includes her locker. She bends down and picks it up, unfolding the paper quickly to read it. A smile grows across her face. 

 

~0~

 

When Allison reaches the greenhouse, she's outright grinning. Scott's there, leaning on a table with the sky spread out behind him, bright blue with white puffy clouds scattered over it. "It's  _gorgeous_ up here, Scott!" she exclaims. Scott laughs, but not at her, just with joy. "It's like a jungle," she says when she's closer.

Scott grins. "Yeah, just like the cafeteria," he says. 

Allison turns bright red. "You mean where I just humiliated myself into the next century? I think I'll take the greenhouse."

"It wasn't that bad," Scott tries, but he can't keep a straight face.

"You see!" Allison says, gesturing to Scott's grin. He holds his hands up in surrender. "So this is your secret hideaway?" 

He nods. "Yeah, the science club lets me sneak up here so long as I don't bring the boys," he explains. 

Allison takes a deep breath, inhaling the perfume of the flowers and scent of soil. "You've got this whole place wired, don't you Scott?" Allison asks. "It's like everyone wants to be friends with you." 

"Unless we lose," Scott says, suddenly serious. 

"I'm sure it isn't easy, being the coach's kid," Allison sympathizes. She feels for him. Scott just shrugs, trying for a goofy smile but not quite making it.

"It makes me work a little harder, yeah. I dunno what he's gonna say when he hears about the musical," Scott admits. Allison slides a little closer to him, doesn't force eye contact, but makes sure he knows she's there. "He's just so focused on me being the basketball guy all the time, him and my friends. I'm starting to wonder if that's all I am."

"I saw how you were with Kira yesterday. There's way more to you than just basketball, Scott. Maybe you just need to show them that," Allison says. 

Scott shrugs again, it seems to be his default gesture. "Nah, to them I'm just the playmaker dude," he says. 

"Then they don't know you," Allison says firmly. "Everywhere I've been, I've always been the freaky smart girl. But around you I just feel like... a girl." And wow, that sounds really stupid out loud, but it's there now and Scott is smiling again. 

"You even look like one too," Scott jokes. 

Allison chuckles. They're quiet for a minute, Allison letting her mind wander. "You know when you're little, and you meet a kid, and two seconds later you're playing together like you've known each other your whole life, because you never have to be anything but you? That's what singing with you was like. Easy."

"Those callbacks aren't going to be easy," Scott says.

"You sure you want to do them?" Allison checks. 

Scott grins. "Call me freaky callback boy," he laughs. 

Allison returns the smile. "You're actually kinda cool, Scott. Just not for the reasons everyone thinks," she says. "And thanks for sharing your treehouse. Like kindergarten."

The bell rings, interrupting their moment, but as they sprint down from the greenhouse, Scott grabs her hand and holds on tight. 

 

~0~

 

Derek has no clue  _what_ has Scott's attention today but it's clearly nothing he wants to share. Which is fine, because Derek's got his own crap to worry about. Today he ran into Stiles, literally, outside one of the music rooms, listening at the door. Stiles spewed off some nonsense, and wouldn't let Derek get a word in edgewise. Then he ran off, hat almost flying off his head as he sprinted down the hall away from Derek. 

It's not like Derek doesn't feel guilty, because he does. He's having a hard time focusing he feels so bad, so he throws himself into basketball and tries not to think of anything else. It's not like he  _wants_ to hurt Stiles, it's the last thing he wants. But... It's high school. Being gay, being  _out_ and on a sports team? With colleges looking to recruit? Maybe if he was Scott McCall and had all the talent to make up for other... less desirable traits, but he's second fiddle so he's got to work twice as hard and be pretty much perfect. 

And there's the whole drama club's weird rivalry with the basketball team, for attention and funds.

Plus, Stiles's sister is batshit insane. 

But God, Stiles is just... Stiles. He's something else, like a force of nature, and people don't usually notice it because Malia slams through and tears shit up, but Derek saw him. 

And then he'd fucked it all up, and removed every piece evidence, giving back all the little things Stiles had left behind during his brief stay in Derek's life. He was always forgetting stuff, notebooks, scraps of paper with doodles, and god,  _so many hats_. Derek must've found a half dozen of them floating around his house and car. Laura won't stop laughing about it. 

It doesn't matter anyways. They're from two different worlds, and he should just focus on the one he's in, not the one he wants.

Derek glances up, tries to make eye contact with Scott to maybe make a joke about something, but Scott's got this dreamy look on his face. Probably thinking about the Argent girl, which Derek does  _not_ approve of, if anyone thought to ask his opinion. Which they didn't. 

Shocker of the century, that.

 

~0~

 

Practice is brutal that day. Coach is pissed off, which Isaac doesn't blame him for, but there's still no reason for him to take it out on the team. He's had them running drills for almost an hournow.

"You seen Scott?" Coach demands, glaring at Isaac. 

"N-no Coach!" Isaac replies. 

Coach McCall glares. "Again! Run it again!"

 

~0~

 

Scott is late as all hell for practice, but he and Allison got to talking after final bell and somehow he wound up painting set pieces for the drama club while Allison worked on a costume. Practice is wrapping up. 

"Hit the showers guys, good hustle out there," his dad says, sending the team off. 

Derek catches Scott's eye, glares angrily, and shoves his basketball into Scott's stomach. 

"I'm just gonna- gonna shoot a bit," Scott says.

His dad scowls. "I think the team deserves at least a bit of effort from you today," he spits. Scott dodges the barb, thinks of Allison's smile, warm like sunshine. His dad leaves, and Scott makes a few shots until he hears footsteps approach. 

"Look, dad, I'm working the shots-" Scott starts, but cuts off when he sees who just came in. "Allison!" The ball slips from his grasp and bounces to rest at Allison's feet. 

"Hey, Scott. C'mon, keep shooting, show me what you're really good at," Allison teases, shooting and making the shot. Scott rebounds it.

Scott laughs. "You cannot be good at basketball too, c'mon. Pretty, smart, and athletic can't happen in the same girl," he insists. Allison giggles, and the sound makes Scott light up. 

"I've been working with Kira," Allison says. 

"Me too," Scott says. "And I totally bailed on practice because of it, so if we lose next week, it's all on you." For a moment, Allison looks terrified and guilty, but the grin she gives when she realizes he's teasing it totally worth it. 

"Asshole," Allison says, grabbing the ball from him and running. 

"No, see, that's just really bad travelling," Scott says, leaning over and scooping Allison up in his arms to catch her and get the ball. They're both laughing, loud and happy. 

"Miss this is a closed practice, you need to get out of here," a voice booms. 

Scott sets her down gently, turning to face his dad. "C'mon dad, it's just me here," he says.

"Practice ends," his dad says, "when every member of the team is off the gym floor. Team rule."

Allison is blushing, and Scott loves that look on her, but wishes it wasn't his dad bringing it out. "Dad, this is Allison Argent," he says, figuring this can't get much worse so he might as well introduce her. 

"Your detention friend, I realized," Coach McCall responds. Allison's face falls and she passes the ball back to Scott. 

"I'll see you later, Scott. Nice- nice meeting you, Coach McCall," Allison stutters, and she practically runs out of the gym. 

The moment she's out of earshot, Scott starts in. "Dad, detention was all me and you know it," he says.

"Everything was fine until she showed up, now you're getting detention, missing practice. Scott, that girl-"

" _That girl_ is named Allison, and I really like her dad," Scott pleads. 

"I don't want you seeing her anymore, Scott. You're  _playmake_ _r_. Not a singer," Coach McCall says forcefully, heading for the gym doors. 

"What if I want to be both?" Scott shouts after him. 

 

~0~

 

Outside the gym, Isaac, Derek, and Jackson have been listening in.

"We've gotta do something," Derek insists. 

 

~0~

 

** Next Day **

_School Library_

 

Scott has clearly lost his mind, and as his friend, it is up to Derek to help him find it. 

"Is this girl a witch or something? Because there is no reason besides magic for you to have suddenly become interested in the musical?" Derek demands. 

"I just did," Scott answers, smiling all dopey. "Anyway, who cares?"

"I care!" Derek replies, too loud. 

"Mr. Hale, shush!" the librarian admonishes. 

"It's him, not me," Derek responds immediately. It's always easier to blame Scott, Scott hardly ever gets into trouble, regardless of what Derek puts on him. "Dude, you play basketball, not sing. Have you ever seen Michael Crawford on a cereal box?"

Scott furrows his brow. "Who?"

"Exactly. He was the first Phantom of the Opera, on Broadway. Laura is obsessed with him, she's seen the movie 27 times, and last year, she stuck his face in our fridge. Not on, in. If you keep playing ball, you get on cereal boxes, if you start singing, you wind up in Laura's fridge."

His friend starts to laugh a bit. "Why did she put it  _in_ the fridge?" 

"Hell if I know, some crazy fad diet," Derek shrugs. "I don't try to figure out what goes on in her head, it's dangerous up there." He drops his voice as the librarian walks by. "The team can't focus if you're busy singing on stages in leotards when we're supposed to be practicing."

"Whoa now, nobody here said anything about leotards, and you know it." Scott responds violently. 

"Not yet, but they will!" Derek insists. Scott is just not  _getting_ it.

"Mr. Hale!" the librarian snaps. 

"I'm trying to tell him," Derek says. He turns and stares Scott down. "I'm really trying."

 

~0~

 

Stiles has always been kinda fascinated by Lydia Martin, but she's also incredibly terrifying, so he monitors her from a distance, like a wild animal. So when he sees her having a clandestine meeting with  _Derek Hale_ , yeah, he notices. And immediately tells Malia. Who sums up his thoughts rather nicely, with a succinct "Something isn't right,". 

He shrugs, aiming for calm. "They're probably just plotting a way to make sure Scott and Allison get our spot in the show," he says, knowing it derail the curious look Malia keeps shooting between Stiles and Derek. "The jocks have most of the school, but if they get the drama club, they control everything."

Malia looks calculating. "And if the Science Squad gets Allison into the musical, the geeks step up in the pecking order. We've got to put a stop to this, Stiles."

Stiles nods, and lets Malia lead him away from where Derek and Lydia are sitting cozy.

 

~0~

 

"So, we're on for tomorrow," Derek confirms.

"Yeah," Lydia agrees. "Just don't think this makes us friends."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Derek says.

 

~0~

 

** Next Day **

 

 

Scott's been summoned to the locker room, but he can't find his team anywhere. Finally, he finds them, all gathered up in a group with a bunch of trophies and photos around them. 

Derek lifts up a photo. ""Spider" Bill Netrine, class of '72. He was the MVP in the league championship game," Derek says. He nods towards Jackson, who speaks next.

"Sam Nedler, class of '02. Also known as "Sammy Slamma Jamma." Captain, MVP of the league championship team," Jackson says.

Isaac goes next. "The "Thunder Clap""- everyone pauses to clap - "Hap Hadden, '95. Led the Wildcats to back-to-back city championships. A legend."

"Exactly. Everyone, legends in their own right. But did they become legends by doing musicals?" Derek demands.

"Get'cha head in the game!" the team shouts.

"No! They became legends because they  _practiced_ , because they focused until the won," Derek says.

"Get'cha head in the game!" the team repeats, louder this time.

Derek is on a roll right now, Scott can tell. He gets like this sometimes, high on school spirit and desperation. Basketball's just about all he has anymore, so Scott can't be angry with him for it. But right now, the irritation is growing. "Who was the first sophomore to start varsity?"

"Scott!" the team answers.

"So who voted him our team captain?" Derek asks.

"We did!" the team says, and wow, it's like they've trained for it.

"And who," Derek wonders, "is going to get their sorry asses handed to them Friday if Scott's worried over an audition?"

The team deflates a bit. "We are..." they mumble.

Scott's upset now. "Look, there's twelve people on this team, guys-"

"Not just twelve, Scott," Derek corrects, almost like he's been waiting for him to say just that. "You're forgetting someone very important." Derek reaches behind him and Isaac hands him another frame. Scott already knows what's in it, and when Derek displays the photo, it's exactly what he thought. His dad's senior photo, awful eighties hair and all. 

"My dad," Scott says, resigned.

"Exactly. Wildcat basketball champion, class of 1981. Champion, father, and now coach. It's a winning tradition like no other, Scott. One we want to continue," Derek says.

Scott has no way to respond.

 

~0~

 

Lydia stops her on her way to meet Kira for rehearsal, claims she has something incredibly important to show her. 

"Just keep quiet and trust me, okay? Listen, but don't talk," Lydia whispers, and she leads Allison into the boy's locker room, silent. Allison nods, but only because she can hear Scott's voice, and she's curious about what he's saying since he sounds passionate.

"Guys, you know I'm going to put my heart and soul into this game, c'mon," Scott says.

Derek starts talking. "What about the singing? And the girl? It's already affecting your game."

"I am for the team, Derek, I always have been! She's just a girl I  _met_ , she isn't important, not like you guys are. I'll forget her, forget the audition, let's just do this and get our championship! Everyone happy?" Scott says.

Allison's in shock. Her stomach is in knots, her heart feels like it's been ripped out, and tears are stinging her eyes. Lydia reaches out and takes her hand.  _I'm sorry_ she mouths. Allison just shakes her head and walks out of the locker room, tears starting to break free. 

"I'm sorry," Lydia says, following after her. "Do you want to grab lunch? Or something? Me and Science Squad would love to have you with us for lunch. And the meet, if you want." 

"N-no. I'm just... I've just got to go, okay?" Allison says, and she breaks off from Lydia and heads for an empty classroom. She can hear the Wildcats behind her, cheering and celebrating the return of their prodigal son. The bell rings, sending everyone to their classes, but for once, Allison doesn't care. This area of the school is usually empty this time of day, and she just wants to be alone.

" _It's funny when you find yourself looking from the outside. I'm standing here, but all I want, is to be over there. Why did I let myself believe miracles could happen? Cause now I have to pretend that I don't really care..."_ The classroom is too close, too bright, she leaves it for the hallway, heading to where she knows more basketball decorations are, because if there's one thing she knows about pain, it's that it loves company. " _I thought you were my fairy tale, my dream when I'm not sleeping. My wish upon a star that's coming true. But everybody else could tell that I confused my feelings with the truth. When there was me and you..."_

 _"I swore I knew the melody that I heard you singing. And when you smiled, you made me feel like I could sing along . But then you went and changed the words, now my heart is empty. I'm only left with used-to-bes, and once upon a song. Now I know you're not a fairy tale, and dreams were meant for sleeping. And wishes on a star, just don't come true. Cause now, even I can tell, that I confuse my feelings with the truth. Because I liked the view... when there was me and you."_ She goes down the stairs, needing the motion to soothe her a bit. 

 _"I can't believe that I could be so blind. It's like you were floating while I was falling, and I didn't mind... Because I liked the view, I thought you felt it too. When there was me, and you."_ There's just so much anger, all of it directed at that stupid poster of Scott's face, and what kind of school hangs huge posters of its students anyway? It's just dumb. She eventually gets to her locker, and fiddles with the combination, tears finally under control by the time it pops open. 

"Hey, Allison, what's up?" Scott asks, leaning against the lockers beside Allison. 

She doesn't answer.

"Okay..." Scott sounds hurt, but keeps going. "I wanted to talk to you about something, is that alright?"

Allison closes the locker. "I know what it's like to carry all those expectations, and it's okay. We're okay."

Scott goes wide-eyed. "What's good? I wanted to talk about callbacks." And no, Allison cannot do this right now, not with him. She needs to just cut him off now.

"I don't want to do them either, who are we trying to kid. You've got your team, and I've got mine. You go win the championship, and I'll win the scholastic meet. It's how it's meant to be." She closes her locker. "Go Wildcats," she manages, and then she runs off, leaving Scott standing by her locker. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was such a long chapter omg it went on forever


	7. Bop to the Top

Derek, Isaac, and Jackson are tossing the ball around outside during free period when Scott storms by, looking incredibly upset. 

"Hey, Captain!" Derek calls cheerfully, confident that their plan worked and everything is the way it should be. He tries to hand Scott the ball, but Scott just twists his body away and runs off towards the science halls. Probably heading for the supposedly secret greenhouse. 

"What's up with Scott?" Jackson asks. 

Derek shrugs. "Don't worry about it, it's nothing," he fibs.

 

~0~

 

That night, Scott can't focus. He heads out back to try and blow off some stress by shooting a few hoops, but all he can see is Allison's hurt face when she'd talked to him that day. He can't get over it. What changed between when they'd last talked and that afternoon? It just doesn't make sense. When he misses his fifth shot in a row, he loses his temper and pitches the basketball against the wall,  _hard_. He sits down on the concrete and puts his head in hands, shaking with anger and hurt.

 

~0~

 

**Next Day**

 

 

Scott's gotta talk to her, there's no other option. He couldn't sleep last night at all; he just tossed and turned trying to get Allison's face out of his head. Finally, he sees her in the cafeteria, heading for Lydia Martin and the Science Squad. He stands up and opens his mouth to say something,  _anything_ , probably an apology, but Allison just shakes her head and walks away, joining Lydia at the lunch table. Scott's heart breaks and he stands up, half-jogging out of the cafeteria. Derek calls after him, so does Jackson, but Scott can't deal with it, not right now. 

 

~0~

 

Okay, so maybe his plan was a terrible idea, Derek thinks as Scott runs from the cafeteria. Genuinely awful, actually. He'd had no idea that Scott was genuinely into this girl, or the music, he'd figured it was just a phase. If he'd known- but Scott had tried hadn't he? And Derek had been so caught up in his gay panic -he winces a bit at the thought- that he'd just reacted, taken out all his frustration and conflicting feelings about Stiles on Scott. Who's probably the nicest, sweetest guy on the planet. So now the guilt Derek's hauling is doubled, but at least this part he can fix. 

"Isaac, Jackson, c'mon," Derek says, already certain where Scott will be. He leads them up to the greenhouse, making Isaac and Jackson swear to keep it a secret. After the shit they've pulled the past few days, which is seeming worse and worse in retrospect, they owe Scott that much. 

Derek freezes at the start of the staircase. 

"We've been a crap team, haven't we, Der?" Isaac says quietly. 

"Yeah. Yeah we have, Isaac," Derek answers. He starts up the stairs, Isaac and Jackson behind him. Scott startles when they walk in, so Derek jumps to speak before Scott can flee. "We're sorry," he says.

Scott looks suspicious. "What for?" he asks.

Derek nods, knowing this is the time to really apologize. "If singing is something you want to do, we're going to be there to cheer you on."

"Are- are you serious?" Scott says, a smile growing. 

"Hell yes!" Jackson says. "We're family, we're here to build you up, not tear you down."

"Win or lose, we're pack," Derek agrees. They're a team, a family, and it means more than just the words they use to describe it. "Even if you're the worst singer in the world."

"Which we don't know, because we haven't heard you sing," Isaac says. Scott seems to realize something and stares down at his shoes with a frown on his face. 

Jackson pulls a baggie of chocolate chip cookies out of his backpack. "I made these for you. You'll want to eat one before we tell you the rest of this."

 

~0~

 

Lydia isn't used to feeling guilt. Sadness, yes. Loneliness, sure. But not guilt. Derek's right though, what they did was out of line. Tricking Scott and Allison like that, it wasn't fair, and it wasn't nice. For all the snide attitude Lydia dishes out, she doesn't like to be completely cruel. Especially not to sweet people like Scott and Allison. 

So she's apologizing. "We were horrible. We thought you singing was going to kill our chances at the meet, and we flipped out. It was way out of line, and we're sorry. Will you please talk to Scott?"

"No," Allison says. "I heard what he had to say, and he's the one who said it. Not you, not Derek, not anyone else. It's on him, okay?" She's refusing to look Lydia in the eye. Instead she focuses on her notebook, and Lydia? Yeah, Lydia doesn't like being ignored. 

Lydia slams her hand down on the top of the table, shocking Allison out of her studying. "No,  _not_ okay. Derek knew he could get Scott to say things he didn't mean that would keep you from wanting to audition. And that was cruel, and horrible, but completely our fault."

"Nobody made him say anything. Now c'mon, we've got to study," Allison says. 

"Would you just listen to us? Or at least to Scott?" Lydia shouts. 

Allison ignores her completely.

 

~0~

 

His teammates' words are the deciding factor. There is every chance she'll refuse to answer the door, or worse, listen to what he says and then slam the door in his face, but he's got to try. Derek somehow got her address for him, so after dinner Scott tells his mom he's going out, and he drives to the Argent house. 

It takes him way too long to knock, but only a few seconds after the last knock echoes, the door opens. Scott smiles hopefully, but it's just a man, probably Allison's dad. 

"Mr. Argent," Scott starts. "I'm Scott McCall. Is Allison here?"

"Oh, Scott," Mr. Argent says. His eyes dart behind the door, Allison must be there, giving him signals. "Allison is, uh, busy with homework. So right now is really not the best time..."

Scott deflates a bit, but he needs to make sure she hears this, even if she won't actually  _listen_ to him. "Look, Mr. Argent. I made a mistake. A big one. And I really want to tell Allison that. Can you tell her I was here?" he asks, looking pointedly at the door. 

"Yeah, I will... Scott," Mr. Argent nods. "Good night." 

"Good night," Scott replies. He smiles shakily and walks away towards his car. The moment the door closes though, Scott looks up and realizes that there's an awfully convenient balcony that looks like it leads to a girl's room. He pulls his phone out and dials her number. As predicted, the light in the room above the door flicks on. 

Bingo.

 

~0~

 

Allison is hiding out in her room. And no, it isn't because she doesn't want to explain to her dad why her eyes were damp after hearing Scott's voice. It's because her phone charger is up here. And her phone is dying.

And ringing.

That's weird. 

She answers without looking at the ID, but she has her suspicions about who it is. "Hello?" she says, hoping her voice doesn't really sound as pathetic as she thinks it does. 

"It wasn't true. None of what I said was true. I was sick of everyone getting on my case, so I said stupid shit that I knew would make them stop. It was stupid, and I'm sorry," Scott says all in one breath. 

Allison sighs. "You sounded pretty convincing to me," she says slowly. Her heart feels sore and her stomach aches, but she needs to hear Scott's voice, so she pushes through it.

"The Scott from New Year's is more me than the jackass who said that stuff," Scott states. 

"But all this, it's making everyone at school crazy, and don't act like you haven't noticed," Allison reminds him. "Everyone's been treating you different, you've said so."

"That's their problem, not mine. I want this," Scott insists. 

Allison stands up, walking around a bit while she talks on the phone. "And your dad?" 

"This isn't about him, it's about me, and it's about us. I'm not letting the team down, they let me down. And now I'm going to do it. Are you?"

"I- I don't know, Scott," Allison says

"Well you've got to say yes, because I brought you something," Scott says.

Allison freezes. "Scott. What are you talking about."

"Turn around," and Allison can hear the smile in his voice, the hope. Allison turns around slowly. Scott's standing on her balcony, God knows how he got there. She crosses the room and opens the door. " **This could be the start, of something new. It feels so right to be here with you, oh. And now, looking in your eyes, I feel in my heart the start of something,** " he takes a breath. "New." He holds up her sheet music, and  how the hell did he get that, she'd thrown it away, but Allison takes a shaky breath and steps closer. "It's a pairs audition."

Allison nods. "Okay."

 

~0~

 

Stiles is being pulled in so many directions he has no idea how to handle it. Every time he turns around Derek is just _there,_ staring at him with soulful eyes and frankly ridiculous eyebrows. And then he'd shown up, and asked Stiles for the Argent girl's address. What even. Stiles had done it, but just because it was Derek. Which probably wasn't the healthiest thing, considering the whole dramatic not-breakup and still-in-the-closet thing Derek is rocking. And when it isn't Derek staring at him, it's Malia, insisting he come with her to eavesdrop on Argent's and McCall's rehearsal. 

Which finds him ten minutes later in shock outside the practice room. "They're really good," Stiles says. Like, better than him good. Probably better than Mal, but he'd never say that to her face. 

Malia is  _livid_. "We have to do something. Our callbacks are Thursday after school, right? And the scholastic meet and basketball game are Friday..." A sinister smile grows over Malia's face. "Too bad they aren't all on the same day. 

"But then Scott and Allison wouldn't be able to... oh." Stiles's stomach sinks. Malia seems to expect a response though, so he fakes a grin. "I'm proud to call you my sister." Malia preens.

"I know."

They head for the auditorium to talk to Finstock at Malia's insistence. Stiles keeps trying to stall, but she forces them to go, and then convinces Finstock, loudly, to change the audition schedule. Stiles catches sight of Kira, working at the piano, so he steers them in that direction, knowing she'll hear it and pass the information along to Scott and Allison. 

"If you guys think changing that audition dates is best for the drama club, then I might actually agree with you," Finstock says loudly, and Stiles sees Kira perk up. Then he thunders off, shouting directions to various stage hands who are not getting paid at all to put up with his shit.

"Was that a yes?" Stiles asks. 

Malia grins. 

 

~0~

 

Later that night, Stiles's phone goes off. He moves to answer, but sees the caller ID just in time. 

He lets Derek go to voice mail. And refuses to listen to it. Time to stop dwelling on closet cases, and start focusing on theater. It's time to move on.

 

~0~

 

**Next Day**

 

Derek meets up with Jackson and Isaac outside the school. A few minutes later, Scott and Allison show up with Lydia in tow. They chat happily as they walk in, and for a few minutes, Derek fools himself into thinking things are normal. But then he sees the look on Stiles's face from a distance, and he knows something is up. Not just because it's the first time Stiles has made eye contact with him since he gave back the bag of stuff -he hadn't looked at him when Derek had asked for Allison's address- but because Stiles is looking at him intensely, trying to push some sort of a message to him. He almost looks... sorry. 

Two seconds later, Derek knows why.

" _Callback auditions rescheduled to Friday beginning at 3:30,_ " a small girl reads aloud. 

Scott frowns over at Derek. "But that's the same time as the game!" he points out. 

"And the meet," Lydia says.

"Why would they do that?" Allison asks. Derek almost scoffs, but Allison's just too sweet to really hate the way he wishes he could for stealing his best friend.

Derek gives voice to what they're all thinking. "I smell a rat named Finstock."

"More like twin rats, neither of them named Finstock," the short girl says venomously. 

Whoa, hey, no that's not right. Stiles has nothing to do with this. But Derek keeps a lid on it for a minute. "Do you know something about this... small person?" That sounded ruder than he meant, but she just nods and says her name is Kira.

"Finstock thinks he's protecting the show, but Stiles and Malia are only worried about themselves," Kira insists.

"That's not true," Derek snaps without thinking. Scott raises his eyebrows at him, and makes a face that says  _we'll talk later_. Thankfully, Jackson's too busy making empty threats for anyone else to have heard his slip up.

Everyone looks to Scott for a game plan. "We're not gonna do anything  _to_ them," he starts, looking right at Jackson as he says it. "Except sing. Maybe. If we can all work together?" 

And Derek, always the team player, sticks his hand in for everyone else to put theirs on top of. Scott grins and puts his hand in, then Allison adds hers. Soon everyone's got their hands in. 

"Let's do this!" Scott cheers. Everybody scatters to get breakfast, go to their lockers, or go meet other friends, but Derek hangs back, knowing Scott's going to want to talk to him. "So what's with the newfound love for Stilinski?" 

Derek splutters, panicked. "I- I don't  _love_ him! That'd be dumb!" Derek protests. 

Scott starts laughing. "Dude, I am just messing with you," Scott says. "But now, seriously. Why the defense?"

So Derek steps into an abandoned classroom, tugging Scott along with, and sits down to tell him everything.

"I... might not be as straight as we originally thought," Derek opens with, feeling a surge of relief when Scott just grins. 

"No shit, Der. Freshman year you spent as much time checking out the team's asses as you did the cheerleaders," Scott chuckles. 

Derek tells him to shove it, but Scott coaxes the whole sorry story out of him. Derek tells him _everything._ How now nothing seems to make as much sense as it did when he was talking with Stiles, how he keeps looking out the corner of his eye for those idiotic hats, and how Stiles's  _song_ , that audition song he'd been humming all break, was stuck permanently in his head. And more real things, like how Stiles had given Derek Allison's address, even though Derek had just callously broken his heart. 

"You're kind of a dick, you know that?" Scott finally says. Derek puts his face in his hands and groans.

"I  _know_ ," he says. 

Scott puts a hand on Derek's shoulders. "It's okay. You'll straighten -hehe- things out with him, and he'll listen." Derek nods, even though that's only half the problem. They both stand up and walk to class. Just before they step inside, while Derek is busy watching Stiles do his morning routine of verbally harassing underclassmen, Scott addresses Derek's biggest fear. "The team already knows, or at least suspects. And they don't care. I don't care. We just want you happy."

Derek will deny that he chokes up until his dying days.

 

~0~

 

**Game Day**

 

**Scholastic Meet Day**

 

**Callback Day**

 

_**Help!!!** _

 

"C'mon, just close your eyes," Scott cajoles. Allison nods and obediently covers her eyes her eyes. Lydia does the same. Scott grins, excited for the reactions, and gestures Derek and Jackson forward, with Isaac bringing up the rear. "Open."

"It's a pi pie!" Jackson declares. Lydia looks delighted, and Allison laughs out loud at the cake decorated with a bright blue pi symbol. 

Scott beams at how happy Allison looks, and the grin gets bigger when Allison announces the Science Squad has something for the basketball team. She and Lydia lead Scott over to a blackboard absolutely covered in equations. A few of them might even make sense at some point. Not to Scott, but to someone who knows this kind of stuff. 

Allison giggles and flips the blackboard around. On the other side, there's a huge drawing of the Beacon Hills Wildcat shooting hoops with  _Go Wildcats_ written in huge letters. As the boys admire it, Lydia and Allison open up a barrage of basketball pillows, hitting the guys over and over with fluffy mayhem. When they're done, the boys run off to find Stiles and Malia and Finstock. 

 

~0~

 

This part is all Derek's idea, something to try and make up for the crappy way he's been treating Stiles lately. Derek steps into the room with Scott by his side and tries to discount the wince Stiles gives when he sees him. "Just, come on," Derek says, grabbing Stiles's elbow and pulling him outside to where the other guys are. He gets into position with Scott and the others. 

"From our team, to yours," Scott says to Finstock and Malia while Derek tries to catch Stiles's gaze.

"G-O-D-R-A-M-A-C-L-U-B" the team spells, opening their jackets one letter at a time to reveal shirts that spell out the message.

"Exclamation point!" Scott adds, revealing his punctuation shirt. Stiles snorts, and Derek almost smiles. That had been his idea too.

Finstock seems pleased, and Malia looks suspicious, but none of that matters because Stiles is smiling at Derek, and actually  _looking_ at him. "Seems we're in for an interesting afternoon," Finstock says.

But for Derek, everything important has already happened. 

Stiles has smiled at him, and everything is right with the world.

 

~0~

 

"Knock knock," Stiles calls into the locker room. It's an hour before the game, but only Derek has his last period off, so he'll be the only one in the locker room. Malia, thank God, is in her history class. Stiles is in study hall, which means he's able to slip away and talk to Derek. 

"Back here!" Derek replies from the back of the locker room, near the showers. Stiles takes a steadying breath and walks back, trying to look casual when he leans against the wall and looks Derek in the face. "Hey."

Stiles can't hide his smile. "That was some performance, Hale," he says.

Derek shrugs. "I originally wanted to spell out 'Sorry I was such a dick, can you forgive me?' but I ran out of teammates way before I ran out of apologies," Derek explains, and while it might sound lighthearted, Stiles can tell he's genuinely sorry.

"It's- well, it's not okay, because you were awful, but... I forgive you," Stiles decides. Derek's face lights up, and he looks so hopeful, but Stiles has to keep going, just to make sure they're both clear. "We aren't- we can't be anything more than friends, though, Derek. It's up to you when you come out, but I won't go back to the closet. I can't do that to myself." Derek looks a little disappointed, but he nods.

"I understand. I'm sorry," Derek apologizes.

He's just pathetic looking, honestly, his shoulders slumped and eyes downcast like if he isn't staring Stiles head on the boy will somehow miss the obvious pain there. Stiles nods and starts to leave before turning back. "Oh, Derek?" He waits until Derek looks up at him to smile gently. "Good luck tonight."

 

~0~

 

Scott's a little nervous. The rest of the team's left the locker room to give him some space, but he hears footsteps and looks up to see if Derek wants something. He'd been weirdly quiet while they got changed, probably something happened between him and Stiles after their display. He'll be sure to ask about it after the game. And the scholastic meet. And the auditions.

His dad rounds the corner and sits down beside him on the bench. "How you doing?" Coach McCall asks.

Scott shrugs. "Nervous." Not for the reasons his dad thinks -Scott doesn't really  _get_ nervous about basketball, regardless of how big the game- but the word works well enough. 

"Me too. Wish I could be out there with you," Coach McCall says. Scott laughs a little.

"You had your turn," he teases. Something's shifted the past few days with his dad. He's been calmer, easing up a bit. Less... image focused. It's been nice. 

The coach sighs. "You know what I want today?" he asks.

"The championship," Scott replies. 

Coach McCall shakes his head. "That'll happen or it won't. What I want is for you to have fun. There's been a lot of pressure, more of it than I should've put on you, and I'm sorry. But I want to see you enjoy yourself out there, and it'll all be okay, no matter who wins."

Scott beams. "Thanks, coach... dad." Coach McCall claps his hand on Scott's shoulder as he leaves the locker room. Scott wonders how Allison's part of the plan is going.

 

~0~

 

Allison's got half her mind on the meet, half her mind on the plan. Oh, why did this plan have be so  _stressful_?

 

~0~

 

Stiles is tapping his foot, anxious to get their audition done and over with so he can go watch Derek play. He knows they're up to something, Derek's friends, but he can't worry about that now. All he can do is try his best with his sister, and hurry to the game. 

"Ready?" Malia asks, as if Stiles could ever say no. Finstock is lecturing on the importance of the theater, but they've both heard it before, so they tune him out. 

"Ready," Stiles confirms. Finstock orders them to get started. 

The music starts, and Stiles drops into his performance space. Everything else falls away as the song starts.   


" **Mucho gusto,** " he starts, horrible fake Spanish accent and all, Malia should be grateful. 

" _Ay que fabulosa!_ " Malia replies, trilling an 'r'. " _Ay ay ay! Arriba! Quieres bailar?_ "

" **Mirame.** "

" _I believe in dreaming, shooting for the stars,_ " Malia begins, starting the dance that matches their song.

" **Baby to be number one, you've got to raise the bar** ,"

" _Kicking and a-scratching, grinding out my best,_ "

" **Anything it takes to climb, the ladder of success!** " 

 

~0~

 

The Wildcats are on the gym floor, playing hard defense, which means Scott doesn't have much to do. Good thing, because he keeps glancing at his watch, waiting for the moment.

 

~0~

 

Meanwhile, Allison is frantically working to complete a formula while Lydia prepares to crash the electrical system with her laptop. She gets the point for the formula, and Lydia sends off the message, cutting the electricity off from the gymnasium.

They share a conspiratorial smile.

 

~0~

 

Back in the gym, Scott grins when the lights are cut. The announcer is ordering a calm evacuation, but Derek is already hustling him out the door, shoving the bag wit his costume in it into his hands. "Break a leg, McCall! I'm heading for the auditorium," Derek insists, shoving him into the bathroom to change. Scott can't help his laughter at Derek's eagerness to go see Stiles perform. 

 

~0~

 

Lydia's managed to turn on the Bunsen burner, setting off some godawful reaction in the beaker. Allison looks thrilled, which makes Lydia puff up with pride. The room fills with a horrible stink, just like Lydia planned, and the room is evacuated. Lydia passes Allison her costume and hustles to the auditorium, running into Derek on the way. 

"Everything work out?" she asks. Derek nods.

"Exactly like you said."

"Perfect. Now let's go watch your boyfriend sing," Lydia says, enjoying the startled look Derek gives her. C'mon, like she hasn't seen the way he's always looking at Stiles? She's not blind.

 

~0~

" ** _Work our tails off every day! Gotta bump the competition, blow them all_ _away_!** "

**_"_ Caliente!"**

_"Suave. Yeah we're gonna-"_

_" **Bop bop bop, bop to the top! Slip and slide and ride that rhythm.** "_

_"_ **Jump and hop, hop til we drop!** "

" _And start again!_ _Zip zap zop, flop like a mop,_ "

" **Scoot around the corner. Move it to the groove til the music stops."**

" ** _Do the bop bop bop to the top, don't ever stop! Bop to the top. Gimme gimme, shimmy shimmy. Shake some booty and turn around, flash a smile in their_** _ **direction** ,_"

" _Show some muscle,_ "

" **Do the hustle**."

Stiles glances up midsong only to see Derek and Lydia slip into the theater. He grins when Derek gives an aborted wave. 

" _Yeah we're gonna_ "

" _ **Bop bop bop, bop to the top!"**_

_**"** _ **Wipe away your inhibitions."**

" ** _Stump stump stump, do the rump,_ "**

" _And strut your stuff,"_ yeah Malia's having a little bit too much fun with this if Stiles is being completely honest.

" ** _Bop bop bop, straight to the top! We're going for the glory,_** _"_

" **We'll keep stepping up and we just won't stop** ,"

" _Stop,"_

_" **Til we reach the top! Bop to the**_ ** _top_!"** They strike their final pose, and the small crowd begins to applaud. Stiles is particularly focused on one audience member in particular, and even tosses his hat out so Derek can grab it. 

Finstock is smiling proudly. Stiles knows they did really well, but he still is hoping that somehow Scott and Allison will show up. Derek and Lydia are here, so they must've figured something out. Finstock moves to call the next callback. "McCall, Argent! You're up." Nobody moves. "McCall? Argent?" Nothing. "Well, the theater waits for no one-"

"They'll be here!" Kira insists. 

" _As I was saying_ , it waits for no one. Stilinski, Tate, congratulations," Finstock says. Kira looks like she might cry, and she runs off the stage. 

Stiles looks to Derek, who looks confused. He was so sure they'd be here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aww yeah look at that sterek. that's as far as they go in this fic, but don't worry. im probably going to do HSM2 too, and we all know how that baseball scene ends.


	8. Breaking Free

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter and next are considerably shorter than the others, since the main plot is wrapped up. Ha, plot. Yeah.

So maybe it took longer to get changed than Scott anticipated, but it took Allison just as long because they crash into the auditorium at the same moment, Scott with his basketball jacket still on and Allison with her lab coat. Derek and Stiles are openly staring at each other across the auditorium, Lydia looks outraged at Finstock, and Kira is nowhere to be found. "We're ready, Mr. Finstock! We can sing," Scott shouts, running up to the stage with Allison hanging onto his hand. 

"I called for you, twice," Finstock says.

" _Please_ , Mr. Finstock, please!" Allison pleads.

"Rules are rules, everyone and they need to be-"

Noise overrides what Finstock's saying as the entirety of the school fills in the auditorium. Scott's in shock, but Lydia and Derek are both looking satisfied, like they planned it this way all along. Which who knows, they might have. Malia says something about being thrilled to perform again, but Stiles is already off the stage and moving towards Derek, so that idea's already shot.

"I don't know what's going on but you can't perform, our pianist ran off!" Finstock blusters. 

"That's show biz," Malia says airily, clearly happy Scott and Allison won't get to perform. 

Scott's about to volunteer to go a capella when Kira steps out from the wings. "Pianist here, Mr. Finstock!" she says firmly. 

"You really don't want to do that," Malia threatens. 

"Oh, I really do," Kira answers, and Scott's kinda in shock at how fierce she sounds. Finstock nods his approval, and Scott pulls Allison with him onto the stage to stand by the piano. Kira starts the piece, but Allison is frozen on stage, face blank with terror. Scott cuts Kira off and steps closer to Allison. 

Before he can offer anything, she starts to talk. "I can't do this, Scott, not in front of everyone like this," she says, and then she turns to walk away. Scott can't let her go, not like this, not after everything they've done for this. He catches her arm.

"Hey, look at me, Allison. It's just me here, just you and me. Look right at me and don't look away. It'll be like the first time we sang together. Like kindergarten," Scott says softly. Allison seems to relax a bit. Scott has Kira start up again, and gives Allison an encouraging smile before he starts. " **We're soaring, flying, there's not a star in heaven that we can't reach,** " Scott sings, ignoring the slack-jawed looks on his teammates faces in the first row. 

" _If we're trying_ ,  _so we're breaking free_ ," Allison answers with the barest of pauses before she starts. Behind them, the backdrop lowers, courtesy of some the Science Squad and Isaac. 

Scott grins and squeezes Allison's hand. " **You know the world can see us in a way that's different than who we are,"**

" _Creating space between us, til we're separate hearts_ ," Allison steps back a bit. 

" _ **But your faith it gives me strength, strength to believe** -"_

" **We're breaking free!"**

" _We're soaring,_ "

**"Flying,** "

" ** _There's not a star in heaven that we can't reach!_** "

" **If we're trying-** "

" _ **Yeah we're breaking** **free,**_ " 

" **Oh we're breaking free** ," 

" _Oohh_ _,"_

The crowd is clapping along now, started by Derek and Stiles, and Allison has loosened up, she's falling into the choreography easily with a large smile on her face. Scott isn't even nervous anymore, she looks incredible, and it's all he can see. " **Can you feel it building, like a wave the ocean just can't control?** " Allison slips off her lab coat, and the Science Squad lets out a cheer.

" _Connected by a feeling, oohh in our very souls_."

" _ **Rising til it lifts us up, so everyone can**_ ** _see_!** "

" **We're breaking free!"**

" _We're soaring,_ "

**"Flying,** "

" ** _There's not a star in heaven that we can't reach!_** "

" **If we're trying, yeah we're breaking free!** "

" _Oooh running!"_

_"_ **Climbing, to get to that place,** "

" ** _To be all that we can_ _be_ ,**"

" **Now's the time** ,"

" _ **So we're breaking**_ ** _free_ ,**"

" **We're breaking free,"** Scott's excited now, this is his favorite part. 

" _Oohh yeah_ ," 

" **More than hope, more than faith!** " Derek hops up with Stiles by his side, cheering loudly and leading the entire room to stand. 

" _This is truth, this is fate!_ "

" ** _And together we see it_** _ **coming** ,"_

" **More than you, more than me,** "

" _Not a want, but a need!"_

" ** _Both of us, breaking_ _free_!** "

" _Soaring!"_

_"_ **Flying!** "

" _ **There's not a star in heaven that we can't reach! If we're trying,"**  _

" **Yeah we're breaking free,"  
**

" _Breaking free. We're running!"_

" **Ohh climbing** ,"

" ** _To get to that place to be all that we can be! Now's the time,"_**

**"** **Now's the time** ,"

" _So we're breaking free,"_

" **Oh, we're breaking free** ,"

" _Oohh,_ " Allison sings, hushing the tone.  _  
_

" ** _You know the world can see us, in a way that's different than who we_ _are..._ " **Scott looks her square in the eye, holding her gaze and ignoring the cheering from the group. He can't quite help it, he's vibrating from the high of performing, he can hear their friends shouting their names, and he knows he has to run to the gymnasium soon, but he's still got some time. He leans in really quick, presses a soft kiss to Allison's cheek, and relishes the tiny breath she sucks in.

When he pulls back, the basketball team is howling at him. 

Typical. 


	9. We're All in This Together

Honestly, the game goes by in a blur. Scott's just doing what he needs to, making sure his team is working, and god  _damn_ are they working. The Knights have no idea what hit them, probably because the power outage threw them off. But Scott likes to think it's because everyone, drama kids and Science Squad included, is in the bleachers, screaming their names. Louder than anyone else is Allison, cheering from the sidelines where technically she shouldn't be. 

They're close, so close, tied with the Knights with only a few seconds left on the clock. Scott's got the ball so he goes for it, making the jump and slamming it into the basket just as the buzzer rings. The ref calls it good, and the whole gym explodes. People jump everywhere, screaming and shouting. Scott sees his dad receive the trophy, and the team crowds around their coach in excitement. Soon, Scott's being picked up by everybody while Derek leads the chant. 

" **What team?** "

" _Wildcats!_ "

" **What team** **?** " 

" _Wildcats!"_

" **What team** **?** "

" _Wildcats!"_

" **Wildcats!** "

" _Get'cha head in the game!_ "

Scott's dad comes close to shout up at him. "I'm proud of you son!" Scott grins and leans down, hugging his dad. The crowd lets him down as Allison runs up, inexplicably in a different dress now, probably Lydia's doing. She tosses her arms around his neck and he picks her up, spinning around with her in his arms. 

"Congratulations, Wildcat!" Allison says when he sets her down. 

"What about you, your team?" Scott asks. 

Allison grins. "We won too!" 

Scott leans in, meaning to kiss her properly, but Derek just  _appears_ like he does sometimes. "Team voted you the game ball," Derek says. Scott rolls his eyes. _  
_

"Yes, thank you Derek. Thanks so much," Scott says, and Derek just smiles. He takes Allison by the hand and takes it in, all the joy and excitement around him.

~0~

 

Derek's fulfilled his duty as second in command by passing on the game ball, now he turns and sees Stiles, sprinting towards him in excitement. Without thinking, Derek opens his arms and lets Stiles jump into them, squeezing him tight but resisting the impulse to spin like Scott just had with Allison. 

"So, you're going with me to the after-party," Derek says firmly. 

Stiles seems startled, but he almost always does. "Like on a date?" he asks, looking for confirmation. 

"Like on a date," Derek agrees. It's time. If Scott can  _sing_... well, Derek can probably do this. Stiles grins, and Derek holds up a finger so he can spin around to face Scott. "I just asked Stiles on a date," he says seriously.

"Awesome!" Scott says instantly. "Hey, Isaac!" he calls over the crowd. "You owe me ten bucks!"

Derek turns bright red, but he can hear Stiles laughing behind him, so it's alright. Things are alright. 

 

~0~

 

Everybody's cheering and shouting, so Scott can barely be heard without shouting. But Kira's there, quiet and a little spooked but looking excited. "Kira!" Scott shouts. "Have the game ball, playmaker, you deserve it!"

Kira smiles happily, accepting the ball graciously. It's so good, everybody actually together for once.

" ** _Together, together, together everyone! Together, together, c'mon let's have some fun. Together, we're there for each other every time. Together, together, c'mon let's to this right!"_**

**"Here and now, it's time for celebration! We finally figured out, yeah yeah, that all our dreams, have no limitations!** **That's what it's all about,** "

" _Everyone is special in their own way, we make each other strong, each other strong. We're not the same, we're different in a good way! Together's where we belong,_ "

" ** _We're all in this together, once we know that we are, we're all stars and we see that! We're all in this together, and it shows when we stand, hand in hand, make our dreams come true! ** _Together, together, together everyone! Together, together, c'mon let's have some fun. Together, we're there for each other every time. Together, together, c'mon let's to this right!_**_** _"_

_"_ **We're all here, and speaking out with one voice. We're gonna rock the house! The party's on, now everybody make some noise! Come on, scream and shout!** "

" _We've arrived, because we stuck together, champions one and all!_ "

" ** _We're all in this together, once we know that we are, we're all stars and we see that! We're all in this together, and it shows when we stand, hand in hand, make our dreams come true! We're all in this together, when we reach, we can fly, know inside, we can make it! We're all in this together, once we see, there's a chance, that we have, and we take_ _it!_** "

" ** _Wildcats, sing along, yeah we really got it going on. Wildcats, in the house, everybody say it loud! Wildcats, everywhere, wave your hands up in the air. That's the way we do it let's get to it, time to show the world!"_**

**_" ** _We're all in this together, once we know that we are, we're all stars and we see that! We're all in this together, and it shows when we stand, hand in hand, make our dreams come true! ** _We're all in this together, when we reach, we can fly, know inside, we can make it! We're all in this together, once we see, there's a chance, that we have, and we take_ _it!"_**_**_ **

**_**_**_"Wildcats, everywhere, wave your hands up in the air. That's the way we do it, let's get to it, come on everyone!_ ** _"_ _ ** _ **

 

~0~

 

"Guys? Guys." Greenburg is more than a little confused. " _Why is everyone singing??_ "

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Praise Zefron this piece is done. Tune in sometime later for the next installment of I've lost control of my life, in which I will write the sequel.

**Author's Note:**

> Yup. This is a High School Musical AU. I just... I don't even know how this happened.


End file.
